ther outsider whom they had rashly taken into their
sacred circle. Even Penny Crain, thorny little stickler for fair play
that she was, relaxed with a tremulous sigh.

"You admit that this note, signed by what I take to be your 'pet name,'
was written by your hand, Sprague?" Dundee asked matter-of-factly, as he
extended the sheet of bluish notepaper.

"I--no--yes, I wrote it," Sprague faltered. "But it doesn't mean a
thing--not a damned thing! Just a little private matter between Nita and
myself--"

"Rather queer wording for an unimportant message, Sprague," Dundee
interrupted. "Let me refresh your memory: 'Nita, my sweet,'" he began to
read slowly, "'Forgive your bad boy for last night's row, but I _must_
warn you again to watch your step. You've already gone too far. Of
course I love you and understand, _but_--Be good, Baby, _and you won't
be sorry_!--Dexy....' Well, Sprague?"

Sprague wiped his perspiring hands on his handkerchief. "I know it
sounds--odd, under the circumstances," he admitted desperately, "but
listen, Dundee, and I'll try to make that damned note as clear as
possible to a man who doesn't know his Broadway.... Why, man, it isn't
even a love letter! Everybody on Broadway talks and writes to each other
like that, without meaning a thing!... As I told you, Nita Leigh, or
Mrs. Selim, remembered some little kindnesses I had done her on the
Altamont lot, when they got her to take up that Little Theater work Mrs.
Dunlap is interested in, and found that the Chamber of Commerce was
interested in putting Hamilton into the movies, in a big booster
campaign. She wired me and I thought it looked good enough to drop
everything and come.... Of course Nita and I got to be closer friends,
but I swear to God we were just friends--"

"And what was the 'friendly' row about last night, Sprague?"

"There wasn't a row, really," Sprague protested with desperate
earnestness. "It was merely that Nita insisted on my casting her for the
heroine of the movie--a thing I knew would alienate the whole crowd
that's been so kind to us--"

"Why--since she was a professional actress?" Dundee demanded.

"Because she isn't a Hamilton girl, of course, and the Chamber of
Commerce wants the cast to be all local talent," Sprague answered,
lapsing unconsciously into the present tense.

"And just what were you warning her against?"

"I'd told her before to watch her step," Sprague went on more easily.
"You see, Dundee, Nita Leigh is