've made up your mind to it." She
leaned above the bed to relieve Letty of the tray. "For instance--you
don't mind my asking questions do you?"

"Oh, no! You can ask me anything."

"Then the first thing is this: Are you pretty good as a
needle-woman?"

Letty was astounded. "Why--why you don't have to _sew_, do you?"

"Certainly, dear. That's one of the most important things you'd be
called on to do. You'd never get anywhere if you weren't quick with
your needle and thread. And then there'd be hair-dressing. You have to
know something about that. I don't say that you must be a
professional; but for the simpler occasions--after that there's
packing. That's something we often overlook, and where French girls
have us at a disadvantage. They pack so beautifully."

Letty was entirely at sea. "Pack what?"

"Pack trunks, dear."

"What for?"

"For travel; for moving from town to country; or from country to town;
or making visits; you see you're always on the go. Oh, it's more than
a trick; it's quite an art; only--" She smiled at Letty as she stood
holding the tray, before carrying it out--"only, I shouldn't have
supposed you'd be thinking of that when you act in moving pictures."

"I--I thought I might do both."

"Now, I should say that that's one thing you couldn't do, dear. If you
took up this at all you'd find it so absorbing----"

"And you're very unhappy too, aren't you? I've always heard you
were."

"Well, that would depend a good deal on yourself. There's nothing in
the thing itself to make you unhappy; but sometimes there are other
women----"

Letty's eyes were flaming. "They say they're awful."

"Oh, not always. It's a good deal as you carry yourself. I made it a
point to keep my position and respect the position of others. It
wasn't always easy, especially with Mary Ann Courage and Janie
Cakebread; but----"

Letty's head fell back on the pillow. Her eyes closed. A
merry-go-round was spinning in her head. Where was she? How had she
come there? What was she there _for?_ Where was the wickedness she had
been told to look for everywhere? Having gone in search of it, and
expected to find it lying in wait from the first minute of passing the
protecting door, she had been shuffled along from one to another, with
exasperating kindness, only to be brought face to face with Jane
Cakebread and Mary Ann Courage at the end.

Miss Towell having borne away the tray, Letty struggled out of bed,
and put on the w