k Farm in its clasp.

The hills were purple now with the coming of night--a deep purple
like the depth of a woodland violet--and their tops were shrouded in
mist.

At the foot of the hills ran a little river, and now it looked like
some ribbon of silver, twining in and out amid the green carpet of
the fields.

"Oh, isn't it beautiful--just beautiful!" sighed Ruth.

"Do you mean the odor of that fried chicken?" asked Alice, with a
frank laugh, as she let down her hair, preparatory to putting it up
again, in the general process of "dressing." "It is delightful; but I
would hardly call it 'beautiful.'"

"Oh, you know what I mean!" returned Ruth, not turning from the
window which gave a view of the distant hills. "I'm speaking of the
scenery."

"Oh, yes, I suppose it is beautiful," agreed Alice, who, truth to
tell, was not gifted with a very strong aesthetic sense. "But I
suppose Mr. Pertell came here because it was so practical for the
rural dramas."

"Beauty counts in them, too," said Ruth, softly. "Oh, just look at
the purple light on those hills, Alice!"

"Can't, my dear. I've dropped a hairpin and I can't see it in the
dark. Gracious, I never thought! We won't have any electric lights
here, and no gas. I wonder if we'll have to go back to candle days."

"They weren't so bad," observed Ruth. "I think it must have been fine
in the Colonial days, to have the candles all aglow, and----"

"Candle fiddlesticks!" exclaimed Alice, who could be very outspoken
at times. "Give me an incandescent light, every time. It's getting
dark here. I wonder what system of illumination they have?"

"Kerosene lamps," replied Ruth. "There's one on the mantel. I'll
light it."

"Do, that's a dear. I've dropped another hairpin, and I need every
one."

There was silence in the bedroom of the old-fashioned country house
for a space. Ruth lighted the lamp, and drew down the window shades.

The girls freshened themselves up after their journey, and prepared
to descend to the dining room. From the kitchen came more delicious
odors as Mrs. Apgar and her helper finished preparing the evening
meal.

Scattered about, in other apartments of the big farmhouse, were the
other members of the film theatrical company. Mr. DeVere had been
given a room near his daughters', and they could hear him talking in
his husky voice to Mr. Pertell, who was across the hall.

"When are they going to begin taking the pictures?" asked Ruth, as
she helped