ou
know," and he glanced over toward his daughters who had no part in this
conversation.

"Oh, the _Mary Ellen_ will be as safe as is necessary," the manager
continued. "Besides we will be in Southern waters after we leave here,
and there will be little danger from storms."

"I am glad of that," Mr. DeVere said. "A warm Southern clime will be
beneficial to my throat. It does not take kindly to our Northern
weather, even at the best."

In the days that followed there was plenty of work for the moving
picture girls in the film studio. They had to take part in several
little dramas that had to be completed before the sea scenes in the
ocean play were undertaken.

"Anything much to do this afternoon?" asked Russ of Ruth as he passed
her near her dressing room one day about a week after the episode of the
mistaken policemen.

"No, I am free," she announced. "They have postponed that 'In the Slums'
and I'm glad of it. I don't care for such characters as I have to assume
in a play like that."

"Nor I. I'm off for the afternoon, too. What do you say we take Alice,
and go for a little trip to the Erie Basin?"

"To see the _Mary Ellen_ again? There can't be much change since we saw
her last."

"No, not exactly to see her, though we could pay a visit if we liked.
But you know we are to have a big motorboat follow us in the ocean
scenes--I'm to take pictures from it, in fact--and that motorboat--the
_Ajax_--is over in the Basin, near the old schooner. I thought maybe
you'd like to take a look at her."

"I would!" exclaimed Ruth with enthusiasm. "I'll tell Alice. She is
disengaged, I know, for I heard Mr. Pertell tell her so."

"I'm sorry we can't go for a trip in her," went on Russ, "but she isn't
in shape yet. I have to go over to give some directions about building a
platform for setting the camera on, and I thought we might combine
business and pleasure."

"It will be a pleasure to go," said Ruth, as she went off to find her
sister.

"Tell Paul, too, if you see him," Russ called after her. "We'll make a
party of it."

"All right," Ruth answered.

She found Paul and Alice together--just as she half expected--and
mentioned Russ's plan.

Paul was cast for a role in a little play that afternoon, but he spoke
to Mr. Pertell about it, and the manager kindly postponed it, as it was
not very important.

So, after lunch the four young people started for the place where the
_Ajax_ was being overhauled, not far from