Queer Happenings While Taking Rural Plays," the scene was shifted to
the country. There you may read of many strange occurrences, as well as
funny ones--how Alice fell into the water--but there! I must save my
space in this book for the happenings of it. I might add that,
incidentally, the girls helped to solve a strange mystery concerning Oak
Farm, and solved it in a way that made glad the hearts of Mr. and Mrs.
Felix Apgar, the parents of Sandy, and of the heart of Sandy himself.

Mr. Frank Pertell was the manager of the Comet Film Company, with whom
Mr. DeVere and his daughters had an engagement, and the entire company,
including the DeVeres, spent a whole summer at Oak Farm, in New Jersey,
making rural plays.

The company had just returned to New York City, to finish some dramas
there, and Mr. Pertell was working on new plans, which were not, as yet,
fully developed.

The Comet Film Company included a number of people, and you will meet
some of them from time to time as this story advances. You have already
heard of a few members. In addition there was Wellington Bunn, a former
Shakespearean actor, who could never seem to get away from an ambition
to do Hamlet. Pepper Sneed was the "grouch" of the company, always
finding fault, or worrying lest something happen. Paul Ardite was the
"leading juvenile," the father of the moving picture girls being the
leading man. The girls themselves, though comparatively new to the
business, had made wonderful strides, for they had the advantage of
private "coaching" at home from Mr. DeVere.

Miss Pearl Pennington and Miss Laura Dixon were former vaudeville
actresses, who had gone into the "movies," and between them and the
DeVeres there was not the best of feeling; caused by the jealousy of the
former.

Carl Switzer, a German with a marked accent, generally did "comics."
Then there was Mrs. Maguire, who did "old woman" parts. She had two
grandchildren, Tommy and Nellie, who frequently played minor roles.

"Do you feel any better, Daddy?" asked Ruth, as she took from her
father's hand the atomizer he had been using on his throat.

"Yes, the pain is much less. Dr. Rathby's medicine is a wonderful help."

"Do you feel like--talking?" inquired Alice gently, for she saw that the
worried look had not left her father's face.

"Yes," he answered, with a smile, "but I do not want to burden you girls
with all of my troubles."

"Why shouldn't you?" asked Ruth, quickly. "Who would