A sort of Little Red
Riding Hood story for children. Something simple, but it will be great
to have a real bear in it. Tony, will you let us use Bruno?"

"Of a course, Signor. I make up for de scare. Bruno he do-a just-a
whatever you tell. He very good-a bear--sometimes!" and he shrugged his
shoulders, philosophically.

"Very well, then, we'll wait over another train, and I'll get up some
little scenario with a bear in it. Mr. Sneed, you will take the part of
the bear's keeper, and Miss Alice----"

"No, sir!" cried Mr. Sneed. "No bears for me. I won't act with one. Why,
he'd claw me to pieces!"

"Ah, no, Signor!" interrupted Tony. "Bruno he very gentle just-a like-a
de little babe. He no hurt-a you, Signor."

"Well, I'm not going to take any chances," declared the "grouch." "This
is too dangerous."

"Ha! I am not afraid!" cried Mr. Switzer. "I vill act mit der bear
alretty yet," and to prove that he was not afraid he fed the big animal
some pretzels, without which the German actor seldom went abroad.

And, a little later, Russ made a film, in which the bear was one of the
central figures. Alice took part in it, and the simple little play made
quite a hit when shown.

"You seem to have the happy faculty of making use of everything that
comes your way--accidentally or not," remarked Mr. DeVere to Mr.
Pertell, when the company was once more under way in the train.

"You have to in the moving picture business," chuckled Mr. Pertell.
"That's the secret of success. You never can tell when something will go
wrong with a play you have planned carefully and rehearsed well. So you
must be ready to take advantage of every change in situation. Also, you
must be ready to seize on every opportunity that comes your way."

"You certainly seized on that bear," agreed Mr. DeVere.

"I'm glad he wasn't a wild one," went on the manager. "I am sorry your
daughters were frightened----"

"Oh, pray do not mention it," the actor said. "They are getting used to
strange experiences in this moving picture work."

"And I want to tell you they are doing most excellently," the manager
went on. "I have had many actresses of experience who could not do half
as well as Miss Ruth and Miss Alice. I congratulate you!"

Little of moment occurred during the rest of the trip; that is, until
the next stopping place was reached. This was at a place in Kansas where
Mr. Pertell planned to have some farming operations shown as a
background to a ce