various chains
of moving picture theaters throughout the country.

He engaged many actors and actresses, but only the principal ones with
whom the stories are concerned will be recounted.

Wellington Bunn and Pepper Sneed were the ones who made the most trouble
for the manager. Mr. Bunn was an former Shakespearean actor. With his
tall hat and frock coat--which costume he was seldom without--Mr. Bunn
was a typical tragedian of the old school.

Mr. Sneed was different. He had no particular ambition toward stardom,
but he disliked hard work, and he was rather superstitious. Then, too, he
was always looking for trouble and often finding it. In short, he was the
"grouch" of the company.

Mrs. Margaret Maguire was a motherly member of the troupe. She played
"old woman" parts with real feeling, perhaps the more so as her two
grandchildren, Tommy and Nellie, were dependent upon her. The youngsters
usually went with the company, and were taken on the Florida trip.
Occasionally they acted small parts.

Carl Switzer was the German comedian, and was a first-rate actor in his
line. His jollity proved an offset to the gloom of Mr. Sneed.

Pop Snooks, the efficient property man, has already been mentioned. His
work was easier when the company was on the road, as there the natural
scenery was depended on to a great extent.

Pearl Pennington and Laura Dixon were former vaudeville actresses who had
gone into the "movies." Some said it was because they failed to longer
draw on the stage. Whether or not this was so, it was certain that the
two had very large ideas of their own abilities. They cared little for
Ruth and Alice, and the latter had few interests in common with Miss
Pennington and Miss Dixon. Paul Ardite has been mentioned. With the
exception of Mr. Towne the players had been associated together for some
time.

But, just at present Mr. Towne was "disassociated" from the others.

"Oh, can you see him?" cried Ruth, as she clung to Alice. "I--I can't
bear to look!"

"Of course I can see him!" Alice returned. "He's trying to swim. Oh, he
has grabbed the life ring!"

"That will keep him up," spoke Paul. "Are they lowering the boat?"

"There she goes!" cried Russ. "Ha! I've got an idea. I'll film this, and
Mr. Pertell may be able to use it in some drama."

He hurried to where he had set down the small moving picture camera, and
while the boat was being lowered by the sailors Russ got views of that.

Then he moved clo