The Moving Picture Girls at Sea | Page 5

same
machine which takes the pictures does not show them on the screen.
But enough of this detail.
"Was the rarebit good?" asked Alice, smiling up into her father's face,
as the supper progressed.
"You may give me some more, which is the best answer in the world,
my dear," he replied, smiling.
"Be careful!" Ruth warned him. "You may have dreams, Daddy!"

A shadow seemed to pass over the face of the old actor. He had been
jokingly gay during the meal, but now there seemed to be a sense of
depression.
"Might as well tell us, and have it over with," suggested Ruth. "We
don't believe in dreams, anyhow. Do we Alice?"
"Not a bit, and I've named the corners of my bed ever so many times,"
and she laughed at that old sweethearts' superstition.
"Well, my dream was very vivid," Mr. DeVere said. "I don't usually
believe in omens, but this one impressed me. I dreamed we were all at
sea, on a vessel in a storm, and, somehow, we became separated. I saw
you girls going down with the ship, while I was taken up on a life raft."
"Well, what of it, Daddy?" asked Alice. "I've often had unpleasant
dreams myself. Probably you ate something you ought not to have
taken. I'm rather sorry, now, I made this rarebit."
"Oh, not at all! It was excellent!" he exclaimed. "I would perhaps, have
thought nothing of my dream had not Mr. Pertell, a short time ago, told
me something of his plans for the future. He spoke of a great marine
drama he had in prospect, and we are to have prominent parts in it. But
I was startled when he told me that one scene--the great one, in
fact--was to be a shipwreck. He has engaged an old vessel for this
purpose, and he is going to sink it with all on board."
"All on board!" cried Ruth. "You don't mean----"
"Well, that's how it will appear in the camera, anyhow. You girls are to
be well in front, and your swimming abilities will be very necessary,
for you will have to go into the water."
"I hope it is warm," murmured Alice.
"Oh, it will be Summer before we get to the shipwreck part," went on
Mr. DeVere. "But what worries me is my dream in connection with the
drama. I almost told Mr. Pertell we would have nothing to do with it."

"Oh, Father! You can't do that!" exclaimed Ruth. She, as housekeeper,
knew how much money was required in these days of the high cost of
living. Though Mr. DeVere and his daughters received fair salaries,
there were many expenses to be met, and if they refused present
engagements they might not find it so easy to get others.
"Oh, of course I didn't actually turn it down," said the old actor, "but it
gave me quite a turn, I must say. I haven't gotten over it yet, seeing you
girls disappear under the waves."
"Don't think of it, Daddy!" urged Alice. "Have some of this apple
slump. Mrs. Dalwood sent it in."
"Your idea is that a man's mind is in his stomach, isn't it, daughter,"
laughed her father. "Well, I will have some of the dessert. Oh, but I
almost forgot, you will have to go down an hour earlier in the morning
to the studio."
"Why?" Ruth wanted to know.
"A heavy day's work on, and Mr. Pertell wants to sketch out the
preliminary scenes of the marine drama. We are actually going to sea, I
believe, and he has engaged some old sailors, or at least one so far, to
give it a proper nautical flavor. It's only for tomorrow that we have to
go earlier than usual."
Mr. DeVere seemed more like himself after he had told his daughters of
his vision. It did not so depress him now, and the rest of the meal
passed off in a much more jolly manner.
In the evening Russ Dalwood came in from across the hall, and they
played bridge whist, of which Mr. DeVere was fond.
"Fancy daddy, Russ," laughed Alice, "wanting us to give up a chance to
go to sea just because he dreamed of a shipwreck!"
"Oh, I didn't actually want you to give it up," her father remonstrated.
"Perhaps I was foolish even to mention it. But I can't forget it--I can't!"

and he seemed to look through the walls of the room on some distant
and fateful scene.
"Well, I must be getting back," Russ said. "You've won the rubber, as
usual, Mr. DeVere. Lots to do tomorrow, and I have a new assistant to
break in, so I'll say good-night."
There were busy times for all next day, in the studio of the moving
picture