OVERHEARD
The trip down the bay on the yacht was enjoyed by all, even though
much of the time was taken up in depicting scenes from the drama.
Sandy Apgar looked on curiously while the drama was being filmed, and
when Ruth and Alice were not acting they talked to the young farmer.
They found him good-natured and rather simple, yet with a fund of
homely wit and philosophy that stood him in good stead. He described
Beatonville to them, and the farm where he and his aged parents tried
to wrest a living from nature--that was none too kind.
"I've had quite a little vacation since I come to New York," Sandy
said, "though it did take quite a bit of money. I reckon pop, though,
will be disappointed that I can't bring back with me the promise of
some cash."
"Then you need money very badly?" asked Alice.
"Yes, Miss. And I guess there ain't many farmers but what do.
Leastways, I never met any that was millionaires. Though if the folks
back home could see me now they'd think I was one, sittin' here doin'
nothin'. It sure is great!"
The girls were called away to enact some of the scenes requiring
their presence, and when they came back they found Sandy in
conversation with the manager.
The girls saw Mr. Pertell give Sandy some bills, and when the young
farmer protested, the manager said:
"Now never mind that!! You saved me more than that in stopping that
runaway horse from spoiling my film and scene. You just take it, and
when I get a chance I'll run up to your farm and look it over.
"I haven't got all my plans made yet, but I'm thinking of making a
series of plays with an old-fashioned farm as a background. Is your
place old-fashioned?" he asked.
"That's what some city folks said once, when they stopped in their
automobile to get a glass of milk," replied Sandy. "We haven't any
electric lights, nor even a telephone. So I guess we're
old-fashioned, all right."
"I should say so," laughed Mr. Pertell. "Well, it may be the very
thing I need when I go out on the rural circuit with my company. If
it is, I could pay for the use of your farm, and it wouldn't
interfere with your getting in the crops. In fact, I would probably
want some scenes of harvesting, and the like."
"Well, come and we'll make you welcome," responded Sandy, warmly.
"Only I never expected to get paid for stopping a runaway horse," he
added as he looked at the roll of bills.
"Well, take it and have a good time during the rest of your stay in
New York," advised the manager.
"Money's too scarce to waste on a good time," replied the young
farmer, cautiously. "I'll use this to make up what I spent on
railroad fare. My trip was a failure, but pop and mom will be glad it
didn't cost me as much as I calculated, thanks to you. I hope you
will get out to Oak Farm."
"Oh, you'll probably see me," Mr. Pertell assured him. "Give me your
address."
The making of the films went on, and the water scenes of this latest
and most elaborate drama were nearly all taken.
"Now we will have the scene in the small boat, where the party puts
off to visit friends on the other vessel," announced Mr. Pertell.
"They don't actually get there, as the alarm on board this vessel
brings them back. But we'll have to show the start. Now, Mr. Sneed,
you are to go in the small boat first."
Some of the sailors on board the yacht prepared to lower a boat from
the davits, but Pepper Sneed held back.
"Do I have to get into that small boat?" he asked, dubiously.
"Certainly!" replied Mr. Pertell. "There is no danger."
"No danger!" cried Pepper Sneed. "What! In that small boat? Look at
the waves!" and he pointed over the side. There was only a gentle
swell on.
"It's as calm as a mill pond," spoke one of the sailors.
"Mill pond! Don't say mill pond to me!" cried the grouchy actor. "I
fell in one once."
"Well, you won't fall now," declared the manager. "Get in the boat. I
want to show it being lowered over the side with you in it."
"Well, if I have to--I'll have to, I suppose," groaned Mr. Sneed.
"But I know something will happen."
But matters seemed going smoothly enough. The sailors were carefully
lowering the small craft, and it was nearly at the surface of the
water. Russ, up in the bow of the yacht, where he could get a good
view, was making the pictures.
Suddenly, when the boat was a few feet from the ripples on the bay,
one of the ropes slipped quickly through the davit block. One end of
the boat went down quite fast and Pepper Sneed was heard to yell:
"Here I go! I knew something would happen! Help! I'm going to sink!
Help! Oh, why did I ever get into this business!"
But with great presence of mind the other sailors lowered away on
their rope, so that the other end of the boat went down also, and in
another instant it was riding on an even keel. Nothing had happened
except that Pepper Sneed had been badly scared.
"Did you get that, Russ?" asked the manager, anxiously.
"Oh, yes."
"How was it?"
"Fine! It will be all the better with that little mistake in--look
more natural."
"Good! Then we'll leave it in. Now the rest of you get down the
accommodation ladder. Stay there, Mr. Sneed!" he called to the
grouchy actor, who seemed to want to leave the boat.
"What! Are more of them coming in this little cockleshell?"
"Certainly. That boat will hold twenty. Keep your place."
"Well, we'll all be drowned, you mark my words!" predicted Mr. Sneed.
But nothing else happened and that part of the film was successfully
made.
Then came more scenes aboard the yacht, until the water parts of the
drama were completed.
Late that afternoon the party of moving picture players returned to
New York. Sandy Apgar bade his new friends good-bye, expressing the
hope that he would soon see them at Oak Farm.
"Excuse me, Mr. Pertell," said Alice, when they got back to the
studio, and instructions had been given out for the indoor rehearsals
next day, "excuse me, but I could not help overhearing what you said
about the possibility of some farm dramas. Do you intend to film some
of those?"
"Indeed I do," he answered, with a smile. "Why, would you and your
sister like to be in them?"
"Very much!"
"Well, then, if this big play proves a success--and I see no reason
why it should not--I shall take you and the rest of the company out
to the country for the summer. We may go to Oak Farm, or to some
other place; but we'll try a circuit of rural dramas, and see how
they go."
Alice went to tell Ruth the good news. She found her sister in the
dressing room, getting ready for the street.
"I think that will be fine!" exclaimed Ruth. "Listen, dear, daddy
told me he had some business to attend to downtown, so he won't be
home to supper. He suggested that we two go to a restaurant, and I
think I'd like it--don't you? It will round out the day!"
"Of course. Let's go. I'm _so_ hungry from that little water trip!"
A short time afterward the girls sat in a quiet restaurant, not far
from the moving picture studio. There were not many persons there
yet, for it was rather early. Ruth and Alice had taken a cosy little
corner, of which there were a number in the place.
"We are coming on!" remarked Alice, as she gave her order.
"We certainly are!" agreed Ruth. "Who would ever have thought that we
would get to be moving picture girls? I think----"
"Hush!" cautioned Alice, raising her hand for silence. Then the two
girls heard some men in the next screened-off place talking, and one
of them spoke loudly enough to be overheard.
"I'm sure we can get it," he was saying. "It's a nice little patent,
and all the movies in the country will want it. It makes the pictures
clearer and steadier. I tried to make a deal with him for it, but he
turned me down. Now I'm going to get it anyhow, if you'll help."
"But how can you get it if it's patented?" another voice asked.
"That's the joke of it. It isn't patented yet. And all we need is the
working model, and we can make one like it and patent it ourselves.
Are you with me?"
"I guess so--yes!" was the answer.
"Good, then we'll get the model to-night and start a patent of our
own. I know where he's taken it."
There was a scraping of chairs, indicating that the men were leaving.
Ruth and Alice gazed at each other with startled eyes.