just lovely, I think. You don't have to act
before a whole big audience that is staring at you. Just some nice
men, in their shirt sleeves, turning cranks----"

"In their shirt sleeves?"

"Why, yes. It's quite warm, with all those arc lights glowing, you
know. And besides, what are shirt sleeves? Didn't dad act in his
during the duel scene in "Lord Graham's Secret?" Of course he did!
Shirt sleeves are no disgrace. Oh, Ruth, what are we to do, anyhow?
What is to become of us?"

Alice put her head down on the table.

"There, dear, don't cry," urged her sister. "There must be a way out.
Father will get a loan--his voice will come back, and----"

"It will be too late," replied Alice, in a low voice. "We will be put
out--disgraced before all the neighbors! I can't stand it. I'm going
to do something!"

She arose quickly, and there was a look on her face that caused Ruth
to give start and to cry out:

"Alice! What do you mean?"

"I mean I'm going to see Russ Dalwood and ask him if I can't get work
in the movies. If father won't, I will! And I'll ask Russ for the
loan of some money. I can pay him back when I get my salary!"

"Alice, I'll never let you do that!" and Ruth planted herself before
the door.

For a tense moment the sisters confronted each other.

"But we--we must do something," faltered Alice.

"Yes, but not that--at least, not yet. We have some pride left.
Wait--wait until father comes back."

With a gesture Alice consented. She sank wearily into a chair.

It was tedious waiting. The girls talked but little--they had no
heart for it. Around them hummed the noise of the apartment house.
Noises came to them through the thin, cheap walls. The crying of
babies, the quarrels of a couple in the flat back of them, the wheeze
of a rusty phonograph, and the thump-thump of a playerpiano, operated
with every violation of the musical code, added to the nerve-racking
din.

Ruth made a gesture of despair.

"Beautiful!" murmured Alice as the paper roll in the mechanical piano
got a "kink," and played a crash of discords. Ruth covered her ears
with her hands.

There was a step in the corridor.

"There's father!" exclaimed Ruth.

"I wonder what success he had negotiating a loan?" observed Alice.

Mr. DeVere entered wearily.

The girls waited for him to speak, and it was with an obvious effort
that he croaked:

"I--I didn't get it. Mr. Cross wouldn't even see me. He sent out word
that he was too busy.