scurrying firemen in the street, a big red
automobile came slowly. It was filled with men and women. Its horn
was honking perpetually. Besides the fire apparatus, no other vehicles
were allowed in the street, yet no one seemed to interfere with this
machine.

"Oh, it's the Samax Company!" exclaimed Lucy, dancing up and down.
"They're going to take a fire picture. Look, Minnie! There's Mr.
Kenoke--the director! I never thought of it--right here at my very
door, too! If I only could see him, Minnie. What a chance for the
fire scene in 'The Crowning Defeat!' Oh, why didn't I think of it,
Minnie? Mr. Kenoke! Mr. Kenoke! Oh, dear, he wouldn't hear me in a
thousand years!"

She was waving over the heads of the crowd at some one in the red
automobile, it seemed. There seemed even less likelihood now of her
taking note of Hiram. He watched her furtively and wondered.

"Oh, I must see him!" she went on excitedly. "Say, mister"--she
suddenly turned a flushed face to Hiram--"won't you---- Why, hello!"
she broke off. "I didn't know it was you. Oh, you will, I know!
You're big--you can do it! Won't you try to get to that heavy-set man
in the machine for me? Please--won't you?"

She was looking eagerly up at him. Hiram rose to the situation like a
man. For her he felt he would have cheerfully entered a beehive should
she command him. Was not this the adventure girl of whom he had
dreamed?

"What'll I do?"

"Oh, will you? Good! Listen: Tell him to have Mr. Blair carry Miss
Worthington out the door. And listen: Miss Worthington has
fainted--see? Mr. Blair faints then, and staggers and falls down with
her. Then Mr. Speed rushes up and takes a letter from Mr. Blair's
pocket and runs out of the picture. And listen: Mr. Blair and Miss
Worthington still lie there. Tell him there's no makeup. And tell him
Miss Lucy Dalles wants him to do that, and that he won't regret it.
Tell him I said it was a peach--see? But listen: Don't say anything
about me being in a restaurant, though. Oh, can you? Will you?"

Hiram was stunned. Had the girl gone crazy?

"Go on, please, before the fire's out! I can't explain now--wait.
I'll tell you later. He'll know, though. Go on, now--try!"

Without the faintest notion of what it was all about--with only the
thrilling thought that he was serving her--Hiram's big figure began
pushing through the crowd, dazedly repeating her queer message and the
names.

He was t