Ruth Fielding in Moving Pictures | Page 7

right into the best room, Ruthie. You strip off right before the kitchen
fire, Master Tom. I'll bring you some things to put on. There's a huck
towel on the nail yonder. Oh, my back! and oh, my bones!"
Thus talking, Aunt Alvirah hobbled ahead into the sitting room. The
girl who had fallen into the river was now shivering. Ruth and the old
lady undressed her as quickly as possible, and Aunt Alvirah made
ready the bed with the "fluffy" blankets in the chamber right off the
sitting room.
"Do get one of your nighties for her, my pretty," directed Aunt Alvirah.
"She wouldn't feel right sleepin' in one o' my old things, I know."
Ruth was excited. In the first place, as to most girls of her age, a "real
live actress" was as much of a wonder as a Great Auk would have been;
only, of course, Hazel Gray was much more charming than the garfowl!
Ruth Fielding was interested in moving pictures--and for a particular
reason. Long before she had gained the reward for the return of the
pearl necklace to Nettie Parsons' aunt, Ruth had thought of writing a
scenario. This was not a very original thought, for many, many
thousand other people have thought the same thing.

Occasionally, when she had been to a film show, Ruth had wondered
why she could not write a playlet quite as good as many she saw, and
get money for it. But it had been only a thought; she knew nothing
about the technique of the scenario, or how to go about getting an
opinion upon her work if she should write one.
Here chance had thrown her into the company of a girl who was
working for the films, and evidently was of some importance in the
moving picture companies, despite the treatment she had received from
the unpleasant director, Mr. Grimes.
Ruth remembered now of having seen Hazel Gray upon the screen
more than once within the year. She was regarded as a coming star,
although she had not achieved the fame of many actresses for the silent
drama who were no older.
So Ruth, feeling the importance of the occasion, selected from her store
the very prettiest night gown that she owned--one she had never even
worn herself--and brought it down stairs to the girl who had been in the
river. A little later Hazel Gray was between Aunt Alvirah's blankets,
and was sipping her hot tea.
"My dear! you are very, very good to me," she said, clinging to Ruth's
hand. You and the dear little old lady. Are you as good to every
stranger who comes your way?"
"Aunt Alvirah is, I'm sure," replied Ruth, laughing and blushing.
Somehow, despite the fact that the young actress was only two or three
years older than herself, the girl of the Red Mill felt much more
immature than Miss Gray.
"You belittle your own kindness, I am sure," said Hazel. "And that dear
boy who got me out of the river--Where is he?"
"Unseeable at present," laughed Ruth. "He is dressed in some of Uncle
Jabez's clothing, a world too big for him. But Tom is one of the dearest
fellows who ever lived."

"You think a great deal of him, I fancy?"
"Oh, yes, indeed!" cried Ruth, innocently. "His sister is my very dearest
friend. We go to Briarwood Hall together."
"Briarwood Hall? I have heard of that. We go there soon, I understand.
Mr. Hammond is to take some pictures in and around Lumberton."
"Oh!" exclaimed Ruth. 'That will be nice! I hope we shall see you up
there, Miss Gray, for Helen and I go back to school in a week."
"Whether I see you there or not," said the young actress with a sigh, "I
hope that I shall be able some time to repay you for what you do for me
now. You are entirely too kind."
"Perhaps you can pay me more easily than you think," said Ruth,
bashfully, but with dancing eyes.
"How? Tell me at once," said Miss Gray.
"I'm just mad to try writing a scenario for a moving picture," confessed
Ruth. "But I don't know how to go about getting it read."
Miss Gray smiled, but made no comment upon Ruth's desire. She
merely said, pleasantly:
"If you write your scenario, my dear, I will get our manager to read it."
"That awful Mr. Grimes?" cried Ruth. "Oh! I shouldn't want him to
read it."
Hazel Gray laughed heartily at that. "Don't judge, the taste of a baked
porcupine by his quills," she said. "Grimes is a very rough and
unpleasant man; but he gets there. He is one of the most successful
directors Mr. Hammond has working for him."
"You have mentioned Mr. Hammond before?"