rself was holding out a welcoming hand to her,
excitedly saying:

"You dear girl! You are as welcome as the flowers in May. Come in and let
me talk to you. How surprising, really! I had no thought of seeing you,
and yet I desired to--so much."

Nan was drawn gently into the large and beautiful reception room, while
the actress was talking. She saw the woman's furs and hat thrown
carelessly on a couch, and thought that she must have recently come in,
even before Madam said:

"I have just come from an exhausting morning in the studio. Oh, dear!
everybody seemed so stupid to-day. There are such days, you
know--everything goes wrong, and even the patient camera-man loses
his temper.

"Yes, Marie, you may bring the tea tray. I am exhausted; nothing but tea
will revive this fainting pilgrim.

"And, my dear!" she added, turning to Nan again, "I have news for
you--news of those runaway girls."

"Oh, Madam! Are Sallie and Celia found?" cried Nan. "I want so to make
Mrs. Morton happy."

"We-ell," said the actress, with less enthusiasm. "I believe I can give
you a trace of them. But, of course, I haven't them shut up in a cage
waiting for their parents to come for them," and she laughed.

"It really is an odd occurrence, my dear. At the time I was telling you
the other day that those girls could not be working with my company, that
is exactly what they were doing."

"Oh!" cried Nan, again.

"Yes, my dear. Just fancy! I only learned of it this very morning. Of
course, I give no attention to the extra people, save when they are
before the camera. My assistant hires them and usually trains the 'mob'
until I want them.

"Now, fancy!" pursued the lovely woman, "there was a girl, named Jennie
Albert, whom we had been using quite a good deal, and she fell ill. So
she sent two new girls, and as Mr. Gray needed two extras that day, he
let them stay without inquiring too closely into their personal affairs.

"Oh, I blame Mr. Gray, and I told him so. I did not see the girls in
question until the big scene we put on this morning. Then the company
before the camera was too large; the scene was crowded. I began weeding
out the awkward ones, as I always do.

"Why, positively, my dear, there are some girls who do not know how to
wear a frock, and yet they wish to appear in _my_ films!

"These two girls of whom I speak I cut out at once. I told Mr. Gray never
to put them into costume again. Why! sticks and stones have more grace