at the rate of a cent a
minute. In other words, the Orpheum challenged the public to buy its
entertainment by the clock; a person who came a quarter hour late
saved fifteen cents, and the bargain-hunter who could find a vacant
seat at twenty minutes past five could see the last two reels for
nothing. It didn't bring in a tremendous revenue, but it caught the
popular fancy, and it was worth another thirty dollars a week.

And Anna discovered, too, that the unfinished second story of the
theatre had possibilities. She had it plastered and gaily papered, she
put up a frieze of animals from Noah's ark; she bought toys and games
and a huge sand-box--and for a nominal fee, a mother could leave her
angel child or squalling brat, as the case might be, in charge of a
kindergarten assistant, and watch the feature film without nervousness
or bad conscience. There was no profit in it, as a department, but it
was good advertising, and helped the cause.

In the meantime Henry, who at this season of the year would ordinarily
have gone to Lake Placid for the winter sports or to Pinehurst for
golf, was watching the rise and fall of the box-office receipts as
eagerly as he would have watched the give and take of match-play in
tournament finals. He kept his records as perfectly, and studied them
with as much zest, as once he had kept and studied the records of the
First Ten in the tennis ranking, and of all teams and individuals in
first-class polo. To Henry, the Orpheum had long ceased to be a
kitchen; he had almost forgotten that a few months ago, his soul had
been corrugated with goose-flesh at the prospect of this probation.
Since August, he had done more actual work than in all his previous
life, and the return from it was approximately what his allowance had
been from Mr. Starkweather, but Henry had caught the spark of personal
ambition, and he wouldn't stop running until the race was over. He
wouldn't stop, and furthermore he wouldn't think of stopping. But now
and then he couldn't help visualizing his status when he did stop, or
was ruled off the track.

He hadn't quite recovered, yet, from his surprise at the continuing
reaction of his friends. He was deeply touched by the realization that
even those who were most jocular were regarding him with new respect.
Instead of losing caste, he seemed to have risen higher than before;
certainly he had never been made to feel so sure of his place in the
affection of his own set. And al