The Moving Picture Girls in War Plays | Page 3

about that. I wonder
if she could be around here? The New York police are wonderful in
working on mystery cases."
"But the funny part of it is," said Alice, "that I haven't noticed anything
about it in the New York papers. Have you? This is a San Francisco
paper. Naturally they'd have more about it than would the journals here.
But even the New York papers would have big accounts of such a case,
especially where such a large reward is offered."
"That's so," agreed Ruth. "I wonder why we haven't seen an account of
it in our papers. I read them every day."
"What's that? An account of what? Have the papers been missing
anything?" asked a deep, vibrating voice, and an elderly man came into
the girls' room and regarded them smilingly.
"Oh, hello, Daddy!" cried Alice, blowing him a kiss. "I'm almost
ready."
"Hum, yes! You look it!" and he laughed.
"It's this, Daddy," went on Ruth, holding out the paper. "We were going
to wrap Alice's muddy shoes in this sheet, when we happened to notice
an account of the mysterious disappearance of a Mildred Passamore, of
San Francisco, for whom ten thousand dollars reward is offered. There
has been nothing in the New York papers about it."
Mr. DeVere, an old-time actor, and now employed, with his daughters,
by a large motion picture concern, reached forth his hand for the paper.

He gave one look at the article, and then his eyes went up to the
date-line. He laughed.
"No wonder there hasn't been anything in the New York papers of
to-day about this case," he said. "This paper is four years old! But I
remember the Passamore case very well. It created quite a sensation at
the time."
"Poor girl! Was she ever found?" asked Ruth.
"Why, yes; I believe she was," said Mr. DeVere, in rather dreamy tones.
He was looking over other articles in the paper.
"Who got the reward?" asked Alice.
"Eh? What's that?" Her father seemed to come back from a mental
journey to the past.
"I say, who got the reward?"
"What reward?"
"Why, Daddy! The one offered for the finding of Miss Passamore. The
girl we just told you about--in the paper--ten thousand dollars. Don't
you remember?"
"Oh, yes. I was thinking of something else I just read here. Oh, the
reward! Well, I suppose the police got it. I don't remember, to tell you
the truth. I know that her disappearance at the time created quite a
sensation."
"And are you sure she was found?"
"Oh, yes, quite sure. Look here!" and with a smile on his face he leaned
forward, one rather fat finger pointing to the article he had just been
reading. "I was wondering how you girls got hold of this old
back-number paper, but I see it's one of several I saved because they
had printed notices of my acting. This is a very good and fair criticism
of my work when I was appearing in Shakespearian drama--a very fair

notice, ahem!" and Mr. DeVere leaned back in his chair, a gratified
smile on his face.
"A fair notice! I should say it was!" laughed Alice. "It does nothing but
praise you, and says the others offered you miserable support."
"Well, it was fair to me," said Mr. DeVere. "Yes, I remember that tour
very well. We were in California at the time of this Miss Passamore's
disappearance. Helen Gordon was my leading lady then. Ah, yes, that
was four years ago."
"No wonder there wasn't anything in to-day's New York papers," said
Alice. "Well, let me wrap up my shoes, and I'll try to have this packing
done in time to get out to Oak Farm."
"Yes, I just stopped in to see how you were coming on," put in her
father. "Mr. Pertell wants to get started, and it won't do to disappoint
him. There are to be several thousand men and horses in the production,
and the bill for extras will be heavy."
"I'll hustle along, Daddy!" cried Alice. "Do you want that paper?"
"No, you may take it. I'll just tear out this page with the theatrical
notice of myself."
He handed the remainder of the paper to his daughter, who, with the
help of her sister, wrapped up the muddy shoes.
Then the girls proceeded with the putting in of other articles and
garments that would be needed during their stay at Oak Farm.
"I wonder----" began Alice, when there came a knock on their door,
and a voice demanded:
"I say, girls!--are you there?"
"Yes, Russ. Come on in!" answered Alice.
"Oh, and with the room looking the way it is!" remonstrated Ruth.

"Can't be helped. Russ knows what packing is," Alice declared, as a tall,
good-looking young man