-blank at him, Mr. Dennis Farraday seemed to see a
fire of psychic hunger blaze as high as that of wolfish, physical agony
in the girl's eyes.

Mr. Dennis Farraday eagerly searched on the paper of guidance in casting
made out by Mr. Adolph Meyers for the benefit of Mr. Vandeford and
found "woman support," and opposite the item of salary, seventy-five
dollars. He doubled.

"How would a hundred and fifty a week with costumes do for salary? You
can have a couple of weeks advance right now if you like," he said in an
easy, nonchalant manner as much like that of Mr. Vandeford as he could
muster, for those fires of hunger in the girl's eyes were searching
holes in Mr. Dennis Farraday's pocket.

"It would save my life--but--but could you tell me a little about the
part? I might not be able to play it." There were both hope and fear in
her compelling voice.

The question found Mr. Dennis Farraday unprepared by any precedent
established in the two foregoing hours, for between the artists and Mr.
Vandeford there had been alone the matter of salary to be settled and
not one of them had inquired whether they were being engaged to play a
Billy Sunday or an Ethiopian slave. But in another way it found him
better prepared than would have been Mr. Godfrey Vandeford. He had read
the manuscript of "The Purple Slipper" and Mr. Vandeford had not.

"Well, to my uninitiated way of thinking, the supporting part is about
as good as the leading one," said Mr. Dennis Farraday, and forthwith he
launched out on an eager, enthusiastic resume of the plot and
atmosphere, even quoting lines of "The Purple Slipper." And as he talked
Mildred Lindsey leaned across the table toward him and fairly drank in
his words.

"I see--it's wonderful how she keeps his enemies at bay during the first
half of the banquet--while she waits. It's great!" Her enthusiasm
expressed in her wonderful voice urged Mr. Dennis Farraday on and on to
a fuller exposition of the play and its beauties.

"You see, the sister is really the one to carry the plot. It is on her
that Rosalind leans, and she has to be all there in her quiet way."

"Yes, I see, and it can be made--" At this juncture the eye of Mr.
Adolph Meyer was inserted to a crack of the door and then removed as he
shook his head in puzzled doubt. He had intended to intrude to the
rescue of his co-employer's inexperience, but he decided that the time
was not ripe by one glance at Mr. Farraday's eager face, surmoun