e for the day, but such as were present evidently made answer
that the young moving picture operator was not there.

"I can't locate him," said Miss Miller to Alice, finally. "They say
he was here about a half-hour ago, but has gone out."

"Don't they know where he went?" asked Alice. "It's very important
that we find him."

"I'll see if anyone knows," came back the answer. Then ensued more
waiting, but at the end came a gleam of hope.

"Mr. Blackson, in the camera room, says he heard Russ say he was
going to the Odeon Theater," Miss Miller stated. "He is trying to get
one of his attachments tried there."

"Where is the Odeon?" asked Alice, nervously drumming with her
fingers on the telephone shelf.

"It's on Eightieth Street somewhere. Wait, I'll look up the telephone
number for you. They take our service, you know."

In a few seconds Miss Miller had given the desired information, and
then Alice said "good-bye" to her, frantically working the receiver
hook of her instrument up and down to call the attention of the main
central operator.

"And give them a good, long ring!" Alice added, as she gave the
number. "It's very important."

"Very well," answered central.

There came more waiting. It was a bad time to get anyone, for it was
now shortly after six o'clock, just when most persons were leaving
for home or supper.

"Can't you get them?" asked Ruth, as Alice opened the 'phone booth
door for a breath of air.

"I'm trying, dear. He'd left the studio, but may be at a moving
picture theater. There, they've answered at last!"

Alice pulled the door shut with her disengaged hand, and spoke
eagerly into the transmitter.

"Is Mr. Russ Dalwood there? It's very important!"

Ruth saw the look of dismay that came over her sister's face. Then
through the double glass door she heard Alice say:

"He's gone! And you don't know where? Left ten minutes ago? Oh
dear!"

Slowly she hung up the receiver. There seemed nothing else to do. She
came out of the booth, her face showing her disappointment.

"He's gone, Ruth," she said. "What had we better do?"

"I think the only thing to do is to go back home and wait for him. He
may be there now. Or his mother or Billy may. Come on home."

It was Ruth who was directing now, and Alice, after a moment of
thought, saw that this was the only thing to do. Quickly they
retraced their steps to the apartment house. Without stopping to
enter their own flat they knocked on the D