miled. "As right as I'll ever be. I was scared half to death
that night. Say, I saw Billy Fenstow this morning. The picture's all
together now and they're going to screen it at the Bijou down the street
after the regular feature. Better be there tonight."

"I'll be there in fear and trembling," smiled Janet.

"Oh, I wouldn't feel that way about it. I think you did a lot better
than most of the girls I've had in the company."

"Thanks, Curt. That was nice of you to say that, but I realize I have
very definite limitations as an actress."

"Well, I'm not so hot as an actor," he admitted. "About all I have to do
is stick on a horse and shoot a gun loaded with blank cartridges."

"That isn't all and you know it," reproved Janet.

Curt looked at the typewriter and the blank sheet of paper.

"I'm keeping you from your work. I only dropped in to tell you about the
preview tonight. I've got to get along."

"I'm supposed to be generating ideas for Mr. Fenstow's next script,"
confessed Janet, "but the mental generator seems to have gone on a
strike."

"What's the story going to be about?"

"You guess," smiled Janet.

"Well, why don't you have a young heiress, pretty much spoiled, who owns
a ranch. She's never seen it so she goes west for a trip and while there
learns that most of her fortune has been wiped out through the declining
value of securities and by embezzlement of some of her trustees. About
all she has left is the ranch and a brother who is pretty much
worthless."

"It's a grand idea," exulted Janet. "Then of course we could have a
cattle war, some rustling, maybe a vein of gold found on the ranch, and
plenty of action."

"You're supposed to write the story," chided Curt. "Well, I must get
along."

"Thanks for the help. I'll make you coauthor," called Janet as Curt
strode toward the street.

Curt's suggestion gave her the nucleus of her story. It would be a
little different treatment of the western theme. Janet started working,
her fingers flowing rhythmically over the keys. She wrote simply. All
that was required of her was a good, comprehensive outline of the story.
The studio writers would put in the dialogue.

But Janet's interest grew as the story progressed and she found herself
putting in conversation and bits of description of the characters. She
was so absorbed that Helen came and stood beside her for several minutes
before she was aware of her presence.

"Going strong?" she asked.

Jane