pay me I'll----"

"What will you do?" interrupted a new voice, and with relief Ruth and
Alice looked up, to see Russ Dalwood entering the room.

"Excuse me," he said to the girls, "I knocked, but you did not seem to
hear. Possibly there was too much noise," and he looked at the man
significantly. "Is there any trouble here?" the young moving picture
operator asked.

"Oh, Russ, make him--make him go!" begged Alice, half sobbing. "He wants
to see my father--it's some sort of unjust money claim--and he wants to
enforce it. Father has gone out----"

"And that's just where this person is going!" announced Russ, advancing
toward the man.

"What's that?" demanded Merley in an ugly tone.

"I said you were going out. It's your cue to move!"

"I don't move until I get my five hundred dollars," answered the
visitor. "I've waited for it long enough."

"My father paid you!" protested Ruth.

"I say he did not!" and again the man banged the table with his fist.

"Well, whether he did or not is a question for you and Mr. DeVere to
settle," said Russ, in firm tones. "You will kindly leave these young
ladies alone."

"I will; eh? Who says so?"

"I do!"

"And who are you?"

"A friend. I must ask you to leave."

"Not until I get my five hundred dollars!"

"Look here!" exclaimed Russ, and, though he spoke in low tones, there
was that in his voice which made it very determined. "You may have a
valid claim against Mr. DeVere, or you may not. I will not go into that.
But he is not at home, and you will have to come again. You have no
right in here. I must ask you to leave."

"Huh! You haven't any right here either. You can't give _me_ orders."

"They are not my orders. This is a request from the young ladies
themselves, and I am merely seeing that it is carried out. You don't
want him here; do you?" he asked, of the two girls.

"Oh, no! Please go!" begged Ruth.

"I want my money!" cried the man.

"Look here!" exclaimed Russ, taking hold of Merley's shoulder. "You will
either leave quietly, or I'll summon a policeman and have you arrested.
Even if you have a claim against Mr. DeVere, and I don't believe you
have, that gives you no right to trespass here. Take your claim to
court!"

"I tell you I want my money now!"

"Well, you'll not get it. You have your remedy at law. Now leave at
once, do you hear?"

"Yes, I hear all right, and you'll hear from me later. I will go to law,
and I'll have my five hundred dollars