ding the quotation shuttled back and forth in the girl's
mind in a most bewildering way. The practical side of her character
pointed out that there really could be no significance in this discovery.
It could not possibly have anything to do with her stolen script.

Yet the odd phrase, used in just this way, had been one of the few
"flashes" indicated in her scenario. Was it likely that anybody else,
writing a picture, would use just that phrase?

She balanced the improbability of this find meaning anything at all to her
against the coincidence of another author using the quotation in writing a
scenario. She did not know what to think. Which supposition was the more
improbable?

The thought was preposterous that the paper should mean anything to her.
Ruth was about to throw it away; and then, failing to convince herself
that the quotation was but idly written, she tucked the piece of paper
into the belt of her bathing suit.

When Tom was ready to go back to their fishing station, Ruth went with him
and said nothing about the find she had made.

They had fair luck, all told, and the chef at the camp produced their
catch in a dish of boiled tautog with egg sauce at dinner that evening.
The company ate together at a long table, like a logging camp crew, only
with many more of the refinements of life than the usual logging crew
enjoys. It was, however, on a picnic plane of existence, and there was
much hilarity.

These actor folk were very pleasant people. Even the star, Miss Loder, was
quite unspoiled by her success.

"You know," she confessed to Ruth (everybody confided in Ruth), "I never
would have been anything more than a stock actress in some jerkwater town,
as we say in the West, if the movies hadn't become so popular. I have what
they call the 'appealing face' and I can squeeze out real tears at the
proper juncture. Those are two very necessary attributes for a girl who
wishes to gain film success."

"But you can really act," Ruth said honestly. "I watched you to-day."

"I should be able to act. I come of a family who have been actors for
generations. Acting is like breathing to me. But, of course, it is another
art to 'register' emotion in the face, and very different from displaying
one's feelings by action and audible expression. You know, one of our most
popular present-day stage actresses got her start by an ability to scream
off-stage. Nothing like that in the movies."

"You should hear Jennie Stone