th, in response to a call from
Duvall's companion, came toward them.

"Miss Morton," the latter said, "let me present Mr. Richards." This was
the name Duvall had given. "He is anxious to meet you, and write you up
for one of the newspapers."

Ruth gave him her hand with a smile which Duvall saw clearly enough was
forced. The girl was palpably worn, _distrait_.

"I'm not going to interview you now, Miss Morton," he said. "I can
understand that you must be tired, after posing all the morning. Let me
come and see you sometime when you are more at leisure."

[Illustration: "Come to my house some evening, and I'll tell you all
about being a 'movie' star"]

She thanked him with a smile, this time quite genuine.

"I'm not feeling very well this afternoon," she said. "Come to my home
some evening, or better still, on Sunday, and I'll tell you all I know
about being a 'movie' star. So glad to have met you." She was just about
to turn away, when a small boy came up, carrying in his hand a flat
package, wrapped in brown paper. Duvall observed that the package had
upon it a typewritten address.

"Something for you, Miss Morton," he said, and placed the package in
Ruth's hand.

The girl looked at it for a moment in dismay. Then realizing that the
eyes of the two men were bent curiously upon her, she recovered herself
and tore open the brown paper envelope. Duvall, with one eye on the boy,
saw that he had disappeared through the door leading to the company's
executive offices.

Suddenly Ruth, who had been examining the contents of the package, gave
a faint cry, and swayed backward, as though about to fall. Duvall's
companion sprang to her assistance, while Duvall himself snatched the
object which had so affected her from her hand and hastily examined it.

It was a photograph of Ruth Morton herself, but Duvall, as he gazed at
it, comprehended instantly the effect it had produced upon the girl's
over-wrought nerves. Some clever hand had been at work upon the
photograph, retouching it, changing its lovely expression, until the
portrait, instead of being a thing of beauty, grinned up at him in
frightful hideousness. The blank, sightless eyes, the haggard cheeks,
the thin wasted lips, the protruding and jagged teeth, all created an
impression shocking beyond belief. And yet, the result had been obtained
by the addition of but a few simple lines and shadows.

Along the blank space at the bottom of the picture a line of typewri