ALL BUSINESS
Ruth Fielding sank to the grass and stared at the others, her
forehead wrinkling in a puzzled frown.
“I don’t know,” she said, in response to Tom’s question. “There are
really a hundred things I ought to do right here——”
“Oh, there always are, Ruthie,” broke in Helen flippantly. “You are
so busy all the time it makes me weary just to see you work. Why turn
down a perfectly exciting trip to New York—especially when duty calls
you?”
“Do you really think it is my duty to go, Tom?” Ruth’s eyes appealed
to Helen’s twin brother as he stood thoughtfully reading over the
telegram. Tom was Ruth’s business partner in the Fielding Film
Company, and since the young fellow claimed a strictly personal
interest in her as well, the girl had formed the habit of consulting
him in all things.
“I suppose you ought, really,” replied Tom. “Mr. Hammond has been a
very good friend of yours—of ours—Ruth, and I don’t see how in the
world you can ignore an appeal like this.”
“You see!” cried Helen triumphantly. “I knew he’d agree with me!
That’s what twin brothers are for!”
“Just what does Mr. Hammond have to say about his financial
embarrassments?” asked Chess Copley. “Does he go into any details?”
“He can’t very well in a telegram,” Ruth replied. “Here,” taking the
telegram from Tom and handing it over to Chess, “read for yourself
and form your own conclusions.”
This was the message Helen and Chess read together.
“Am in great difficulties concerning production of Girl of Gold.
Can you come to New York immediately? Unable to leave city.”
“J. A. HAMMOND.”
“The Girl of Gold,” Tom was ruminating aloud. “Wasn’t that the
Western picture there was such keen competition over?”
“Yes,” returned Ruth eagerly. “The script was taken from the novel,
you know, that made such a tremendous hit.”
“And the scenes were laid in the gold fields of Alaska,” Helen added
as her contribution. “I remember the book. It certainly was a
thriller.”
“The picture ought to be just as good,” said Ruth thoughtfully. “I
know Mr. Hammond hoped great things from it.”
“I wonder what the difficulties are he speaks about,” said Tom.
Ruth shook her head.
“That we can only find out by a personal interview,” she said. “But
one thing I do know—that whatever his trouble is, it must be pretty
bad or he would never have sent this hurried call to me. What shall I
do, Tom?”
“I know what you’ll do,” said Helen, with decision. “You will
pack your things and take the next train to New York. I know Ruth
Fielding,” with a fond little squeeze of Ruth’s hand, “and my
experience of her is, that she never deserts a friend in distress.
How about it, Tommy-boy?”
Since Helen was one of the very first friends Ruth Fielding had ever
had, her prophecy of Ruth’s future action in regard to Mr. Hammond
was apt to prove a fairly accurate one. For since Ruth, a little girl
of twelve and an orphan, came to the house at the Red Mill to live
with her Uncle Jabez Potter and his sweet-tempered housekeeper, Aunt
Alvirah Boggs, Ruth Fielding and Helen Cameron had been the warmest
and closest of friends.
In point of fact, Tom was probably Ruth’s oldest friend, since she
had met him first and through him, his twin sister, Helen.
The Red Mill was situated just outside the town of Cheslow. About a
mile away in a handsome big house Helen and Tom Cameron lived with
their father, who was a widower and wealthy. In the first volume of
the series, entitled “Ruth Fielding of the Red Mill,” is narrated the
meeting of these young people and their subsequent adventures.
Uncle Jabez Potter was something of a miser and a crabbed old soul to
boot. However, when Ruth contrived to save the old man a considerable
amount of money, his heart relented to the extent of permitting Ruth
to enter boarding school with Helen Cameron. Looking backward, Ruth
always felt that all her good times and adventures dated from those
good old days at Briarwood.
At school and college Ruth’s friends were numerous, but none were
ever quite as dear to her as Helen. While still engaged in school
work, Ruth developed her talent for scenario writing, and from
that small beginning commenced the steady climb that was to lead
eventually to her present success.
Ruth’s school and college friends, interested in the triumphs of
their schoolmate and basking in reflected glory, continued to keep
in touch with her even after the close association of school days
was at an end. A group of them had come on to Cheslow to be present
at the opening night of “Snow-blind,” one of Ruth’s recent pictures,
which had proved a tremendous success.
It was Mr. Hammond, owner and director of the Alectrion Film
Corporation, who had first given Ruth her chance and who had never
afterward failed in kind encouragement and backing. Even when Ruth,
realizing that she had unusual gifts not only in scenario writing
but in directing as well, decided to break away from Mr. Hammond
and organize her own company, the latter had backed her project
whole-heartedly, evincing only sympathy and an inspiring belief in
her ability.
Small wonder then that, upon receipt of this telegram from her old
friend telling of his difficulties and soliciting her aid, Ruth found
it practically impossible to refuse him.
In the volume directly preceding this, entitled, “Ruth Fielding at
Golden Pass,” it was Mr. Hammond himself who had suggested that Ruth
take the lead when her leading lady, at the instigation of Bloomberg,
deserted the company at the last minute.
So now her question to Tom, asking for his advice, was more a
matter of form than anything else. Since the latter had secretly
invested a considerable amount of money in her new and struggling
little business just when she was most desperately in need of help,
gratitude had been added to an already warm feeling for Helen’s twin
brother.
There had been an understanding between these two young people for
some time. For Tom’s sturdy liking for the girl from the Red Mill had
developed into something more ardent as Ruth grew to womanhood. But
as Ruth grew, her ambition grew also. The temptation to determine
just how far her talent would carry her in the motion picture
business was too great for Ruth to resist. So while returning Tom’s
affection, the girl put him off time and time again, pleading her
career as an excuse.
Tom was very patient. He could appreciate Ruth’s enthusiasm, since he
himself had become so vitally interested in pictures. He had as well,
a sincere regard for the girl’s ability.
However, waiting is often very hard, and time and again it was only
Ruth’s appreciation of his patience and forbearance that kept Tom
from open revolt.
So now it was just another example of this same patience and
forbearance when, in reply to Ruth’s question concerning Mr. Hammond,
he said without hesitation:
“Of course you’ll have to go, Ruth. Under the circumstances you
couldn’t do anything else.”
Ruth gave him a grateful glance.
“But you will go, too, Tommy-boy? As my business partner I demand
that you accompany me!”
Tom grinned.
“You don’t need to demand,” he assured her. “I was going anyway.”
“And I’ll be your chaperon, Ruthie,” said Helen amiably. “I’m quite
sure you need one.”
Ruth chuckled.
“I don’t know whether to take that as an insult or not,” she said.
“However, I’d love to have you come along if you care to.”
So Ruth decided that she would send an answering telegram to Mr.
Hammond, saying that she would pack that night and start early the
following morning for New York.
Little did Ruth dream as she made the decision what that trip was
destined to bring forth.