ica long before the United States had got
into the war. Although the Osage chieftain was an American (who could
claim such proud estate if Totantora could not?), the show by which he
was employed had gone direct to Germany from England, and anything
English had, from the first, been taboo in Germany. Now, of course, the
Indian girl had no idea as to where her father was.

"See if you can hear anything about those performers," Ruth wrote to
Tom. "Get word if you can to the Chief of the Osage Indians and tell him
that his daughter is with me, and that she longs for his return.

"I should love to make her happy by aiding in Chief Totantora's
reappearance in his native land. She is so sad, indeed, that I wonder if
she is going to be able to register, for the screen, the happiness that
she should finally show when my picture is brought to its conclusion."

CHAPTER X

ONE NEW YORK DAY

That "happy ending" became a matter of much thought on Ruth's part, and
the cause of not a little argument between her and Mr. Hammond when he
came up to Cheslow and the Red Mill to discuss "Brighteyes" with its
youthful author. He had come, too, to get a glimpse of Wonota in the
flesh.

One of the first things Ruth had done when the Indian girl came under
her care was to take Wonota to Cheslow and have the best photographer of
the town take several "stills" of the Indian girl. Copies of these she
had sent to the Alectrion Film Corporation, and word had come back from
both Mr. Hammond and his chief director that the photographs of Wonota
were satisfactory.

The president of the film company, however, was interested in talking
with Wonota and judging as far as possible through cursory examination
just how much there was to the girl.

"What has she got in her? That is what we want to know," he said to
Ruth. "Can she get expression into her face? Can she put over feeling?
We want something besides mere looks, Miss Ruth, as you very well know."

"I realize all that," the girl of the Red Mill told him earnestly. "But
remember, Mr. Hammond, you cannot judge this Osage girl by exactly the
same standards as you would a white girl!"

"Why not? She's got to be able to show on the screen the deepest
feelings of her nature--"

"Not if you would have my 'Brighteyes' true to life," interrupted Ruth
anxiously. "You must not expect it."

"Why not?" he demanded again, with some asperity. "We don't want to show
the people a dummy. I tell y