The Moving Picture Girls at Sea | Page 8

good bit if it were. It's hangin' over me like a nightmare, Miss.
Now I'll tell you all about it, if I don't tire you."
"I should love to listen!" exclaimed Alice, with dancing eyes and
flushed cheeks.

CHAPTER IV
THE SAILOR'S STORY
Ruth, on her way to explain to sailor Jack Jepson what was wanted of
him in the matter of acting for moving pictures, paused as she saw
Alice and the aged salt in earnest conversation.
"I think I had better defer my explanations a while," Ruth told herself.
"Perhaps he will be in a bettor frame of mind to listen, after he has
talked with Alice. What a wonderful way she has of making friends!"
the older girl mused as she looked at the interested and flushed face of
her pretty sister. At that moment Alice glanced up and caught Ruth's

gaze on her.
"Do come and listen," she called. "I'm going to hear a wonderful story,
Ruth dear."
The old sailor looked up quickly, stopping in his progress toward a
bench, whither Alice was leading him. It was in a quiet corner of the
studio, some distance away from the various little groups that, in
three-sided rooms (before the open part of which cameras were placed,
and over which big lights hissed) were going through their parts in the
silent dramas.
"This is my sister," Alice said.
"Oh, yes, I remember now," Jack Jepson said. "There's so much goin'
on that I get a bit confused. But I can see you two look alike. Are you
goin' to put me reefin' sails or scrubbin' decks?" he asked.
"Neither one," Ruth said with a smile. "I told Mr. Pertell, our manager,
that I'd explain what was wanted of you. It is very simple, and----"
"I don't call it simple t' rob an' cheat!" cried Jack with energy, "an' that's
what he wanted me to do."
"I'll explain, and I think you'll find it all right," Ruth went on. "My
sister and I are in this business," she added, "and I don't believe you
think we would do anything wrong."
"Far be it--far be it," said the old salt, earnestly.
"Oh, but before you came, Ruth dear," suggested Alice, "Mr. Jepson
was going to tell me----"
"Avast there! Belay! Hold on!" exclaimed the sailor, his voice ringing
out through the studio, above the tones of those actors who, to give
greater verisimilitude to their work were talking their parts, as well as
going through them. They smiled at the old salt's energy.
"Wait a minute, Miss," he went on in lower tones. "I didn't mean t' be

so quick, but that Mr. Jepson business won't do. Not at all!"
"Why, isn't that your name?" asked Ruth. "I understood Mr. Pertell to
say----"
"Oh, that's my name--at least the Jepson part of it is. But I don't like the
mister. I'm not used to it. The only time of late years when I was called
Mister was when I was up before the lawyers, and I didn't like it then.
Jest please call me Jack Jepson, an' 'twill sound more natural. I ask it as
a favor, Miss," and he looked from Ruth to Alice.
"Why of course we'll call you Jack," assented the latter. "It will sound
nicer anyhow, I think," she added. "Now go on with your story. You
said there was a mystery in it. Has it anything to do with--buried
treasure?" and Alice leaned forward eagerly.
"Buried treasure? No, Miss. What made you ask that?"
"The idea!" exclaimed Ruth with a laugh. "I'm afraid you'll think my
sister very romantic, Mr.--er--Jack."
"That's better!" he laughed. "Well, I don't know much about romance.
My life's been mostly hard work."
"I just mentioned treasure," Alice said with a little laugh, and a glance
toward where Miss Pennington and Miss Dixon, having a rest from
their moving picture work, were curiously eyeing the old sailor and the
two girls.
"Well, my mystery hasn't anything t' do with buried treasure," resumed
Jack Jepson. "It's about a mutiny that took place off th' Hole in th' Wall,
about five years ago, an'----"
"Hole in the Wall!" interrupted Ruth. "I thought mutinies always took
place on the high seas."
"Well, this was the high seas," Jack answered.
"But the Hole--?"

"That's the name of a passage between Great Abaco Island and
Eleuthera, in the West Indies," the sailor replied. "I don't know why it's
called that, but it is."
"A queer name," murmured Ruth.
"Go on, please," urged Alice.
"Well, I was second mate aboard a five masted schooner engaged in the
lumber business," went on Jack Jepson. "We were going down to South
America, in ballast t' bring back a cargo of hard woods, an' off the Hole
in the Wall th'