The Moving Picture Girls at Rocky Ranch | Page 6

fire,
and, even as it burned, Russ "filmed" it.
But the company reached St. Augustine safely, and then came busy
times, making various moving picture dramas.
How the two sisters learned of the plight of the two girls whom they
knew slightly, and how after getting lost themselves on one of the
sluggish rivers of interior Florida, Ruth and Alice were able to render a
great service to the Madison girls--this you may read in the fourth
volume.
The company had come back to New York in the spring, and now
nearly all the members were assembled at the studio, when the incident
narrated in the first chapter took place.

"Here it is!" cried Mr. Pertell, as, slipping his hand into the pocket of
the accused actor, he brought forth a crumpled paper.
"And wasn't he making notes, just as I said, of our new big play?"
demanded Walsh.
"That's what he was!" exclaimed the manager as he quickly scanned the
crumpled document. "He didn't have time to make many notes,
though."
"No, I was too quick for him!" declared the tester.
Harry Wilson had no more to say. His bravado deserted him and he was
now in abject fear.
"What have you to say for yourself?" demanded Mr. Pertell, angrily.
The other did not answer.
"Now, you get out of here!" ordered the manager, "and never come
back."
"I'll not go until I get what is coming to me," was the sullen retort.
"If you got what is coming to you it would be arrest!" declared Walsh.
"I want my money!" mumbled Wilson.
"Here is an order on the cashier for it," said Mr. Pertell. "Get it
and--go!"
Hastily writing on a slip of paper, he tendered it to the actor, who took
it without a word, and slunk off. The others watched him curiously. It
was something they had never before witnessed--an attempt to gain
possession of the secrets of the company--for a moving picture concern
guards its films jealously, until they are "released," or ready for
reproduction.
"Curious," remarked Mr. Pertell, "but I had a distrust of that chap from

the first. Do any of you know him?"
"I acted mit him vunce in der Universal company, but he dit not stay
long," said Mr. Switzer.
"Probably he was up to some underhand work," observed Walsh.
"I wonder what his object was?" went on the manager. "He evidently
wasn't doing this for himself." Idly he turned over the scrap of paper on
which the other had been making notes in the testing room. Then the
manager uttered a cry of surprise.
"Ha! The International Picture Company! This is part of one of their
letter heads. So Wilson was working for them! They very likely sent
him here to get a position, and instructed him to steal some of our
secrets and ideas, if he could. The scoundrel!"
"He didn't see much!" chuckled Walsh. "The film broke after a few feet
had been run off, and I switched on the lights. He didn't see a great
deal."
"No, his notes show that," said the manager. "But only for that accident
he might have learned of our plans and given our rivals information
sufficient to spoil our big play."
"Have you new plans?" asked Mr. DeVere, who was on very friendly
terms with the manager.
"Yes, we are going to make a big three-reel play, called 'East and
West,' and while some of the scenes will be laid in New York, the main
ones will be filmed out beyond the Mississippi. One of the most
important New York scenes has already been made. It was this one
which was being tested when Wilson went in there. Had he seen it all
he might have guessed at the rest of our plans and our rivals, the
International people, would have been able to get ahead of us. They are
always on the alert to take the ideas of other concerns. But I think I'll
beat them this time."

"So we are to go West; eh?" queried Mr. DeVere.
"Yes, out on what prairies are left, in some rather wild sections, and I
think we will make the best views we have yet had," responded Mr.
Pertell. "Now, if you please, ladies and gentlemen, take your places,
and go on with your acts. I am sorry this interruption distracted you."
CHAPTER III
A DARING FEAT
"Oh, Ruth, did you hear? We are to go out West!"
"Are you glad, Alice?"
"Indeed I am. Why, we can see Indians and cowboys, and ride bucking
broncos and all that. Oh, it's perfectly delightful!" and Alice, who had
been taking down her jacket, held it in her arms, as one might clasp a
dancing partner, and swept about the now almost deserted studio in a
hesitation waltz.