The Moving Picture Girls at Rocky Ranch | Page 7

"Can't I come in on that?" cried Paul Ardite, as he began to whistle,
keeping time with Alice's steps.
"No, indeed, I'm too tired," she answered, with a laugh. "Oh, but to
think of going West! I've always wanted to!"
"Alice always says that, whenever a new location is decided on,"
observed Ruth, with a quiet smile.
The work of the day was over, and most of the players had gone home.
Ruth and Alice were waiting for their father, who was in Mr. Pertell's
office. They had intended going shopping, thinking Mr. DeVere would
be detained, but he had said he would be with them directly.
And the two girls had brought up the subject of the new line of work,
broached by Mr. Pertell in mentioning the matter of the spy.

"I hope nothing comes of that incident," said Mr. DeVere, as he came
from the manager's office, while Ruth and Alice finished their
preparations for the street.
"I hope not, either," returned the manager, slipping into his coat, for,
like many busy men, he worked best in his shirt sleeves. "Yet I don't
like it, and I am frank to confess that the International concern has
more than once tried to get the best of me by underhand work. I don't
like it. I must keep track of that Wilson. Good night, ladies. Good night,
Mr. DeVere."
The good nights were returned and then the two girls, with their father,
Russ and Paul, went out.
"That was an unfortunate occurrence," remarked Mr. DeVere.
"Oh, Daddy! How hoarse you are!" exclaimed Ruth, laying a
daintily-gloved hand on his shoulder. "You must use your throat spray
as soon as you get home."
"I will. My throat is a little raw. There was considerable dust in the
studio to-day. I like work in the open air best."
"So do I," confessed Alice. "Now, Daddy, you must stop talking," and
she shook her finger at him. "You listen--we'll talk."
"You mean you will," laughed Ruth, for Alice generally did her own,
and part of Ruth's share also.
They walked on, talking at intervals of the incident of the spy and again
of the prospective trip to the West.
"Do you know just where we are going, Russ?" asked Ruth, as she kept
pace with him.
"Not exactly," he replied, stealing a glance at the girl beside him, for
she was a picture fair to look upon with her almost golden hair blown
about her face by the light breeze, while her blue eyes looked into the

more sober gray ones of Russ. "I believe Mr. Pertell intends to go to
several places, so as to get varied views. I know we are to go to a ranch,
for one thing."
"Fine!" exclaimed Alice, with almost boyish enthusiasm, as she walked
at the side of Paul. "Daddy, do you want me to become a cowgirl?" she
asked, turning to Mr. DeVere, who was in the rear.
"I guess if you wanted to be one, you would whether I wanted you to or
not," he replied, with an indulgent smile. "You have a way with you!"
"Hasn't she, though!" agreed Paul.
They reached the apartment house where the DeVeres and Russ lived.
Paul came in for a little while, but declined an invitation to stay to tea.
"I've got quite a piece of work on for to-morrow," he said, as he left.
"What is it?" asked Alice.
"There's to be a new play, 'An Inventor's Troubles,' and one of the
inventions is a sort of rope fire escape. There's a rope, coiled in a metal
case. You take it to your hotel room with you, and in case of fire you
fasten the case to the window casing, grab one end of the rope, and
jump. The rope is supposed to pay out slowly, by means of friction
pulleys, and you come safely to the ground."
"Did you invent that?" asked Ruth, who had not heard all that was said.
"Oh, no, some fellow did, and the city authorities are going to give him
a chance to demonstrate it before they will recommend it to hotel
proprietors. And I'm to be the 'goat,' if you will allow me to say so."
"How?" asked Alice.
"I'm to come down on the rope from the tenth story of some building.
This will serve as the city test, and at the same time Mr. Pertell has
fixed up a story in which the fire escape scene figures. I've got to study
up a little bit before to-morrow."

"It--it isn't dangerous; is it?" asked Alice, and she rather faltered over
the words.
"Not if the thing works," replied Paul, with a shrug of his shoulders.
"That is, if the rope doesn't break, or pay out so fast that I hit