s a good cook was one of the first
matters voted on, and there was not a dissenting voice. It was well
that there was plenty of chicken, for nearly everyone had more than
the first helping.

"Ach! But I'm glad that I came here!" announced Mr. Switzer, as he
passed his plate for more. "Ven I get so old dot I can vork no more,
I am coming here!" and he leaned back with a contented sigh.

Even Pepper Sneed smiled graciously, and for once seemed to have no
fault to find, and no dire prediction to make.

"The meal is very good," he said to Pop Snooks, the property man.

"Glad you think so--even if we did come out on track thirteen," was
the reply. "I think that accident was the best thing that could
happen. It delayed us so we all had fine appetites."

After supper the members of the company went on the broad veranda, to
sit in the dusk of the evening and listen to the call of the night
insects.

"We'll all have a day or so of rest," Mr. Pertell said. "That is, you
folks will, while I lay out my plans and decide what we are to make
first. Russ, I'll want you, the first thing in the morning, to take a
walk around the farm with me, and we'll decide on which are the best
backgrounds."

"Oh, may I come!" cried Alice, before Ruth could restrain her.

"Why, yes, I guess so," answered the manager, slowly. "Only we'll
probably do a deal of walking."

"I don't tire easily," Alice replied.

"Oh, by the way, Mr. Apgar," said Mr. Pertell after a pause, turning
to the farmer, "I am planning one play that has a barn-burning
incident in it. Have you some old barn on the premises I could set
fire to."

"Good land!" exclaimed the farmer, starting from his chair. "Set fire
to a barn! Why th' idea! Th' sheriff will git after you, sure pop.
That's arson, man!"

"Oh, no, not the way I'd do it," laughed the manager. "I'd be willing
to pay you for the barn, so no one would lose anything. Haven't you
some such building on the place--one that isn't of much use?"

"Wa'al, I reckon there might be," was the slow answer, as if the
farmer could not understand the strange proposition. "But as fer
settin' fire to it; wa'al, I reckon you'll have to git permission of
th' mortgagee. You see we're in trouble about this place. Sandy,
maybe you'd better tell him," and he turned to his son.

CHAPTER V

SANDY'S STORY

For a moment or two Mr. Pertell seemed rather embarrassed. He feared
he had forced some unpleasant secret from the far