CHAPTER XVI
THE MOVING PICTURE GIRLS
For a moment Ruth and Alice looked at each other with eyes thatshowed the pain they felt. Ruth turned pale at hearing the unkindwords, but Alice blushed a rosy red, and started to say something.
"Don't," advised Mrs. Maguire, coming up beside them, and evidentlyguessing her intention. "It would only make matters worse to reply tothem, my dear."
"But--but----" began Alice.
"Hush!" begged Ruth. "Oh, how could they say it--as if we _wanted_ todisplace those girls."
"I'm just going to tell them what I think!" exclaimed Alice, andthere was a hint of real anger in her voice. But she had no chance,for Miss Pennington and Miss Dixon, as though satisfied with whatthey had done, swept out to the elevator.
"Don't mind them, my dears," said motherly Mrs. Maguire. "It's onlyprofessional jealousy, anyhow; and you'll see plenty of that if youstay in this business long enough."
"Then I'm not going to stay!" cried Alice. "I'm not used to havingsuch things said of me."
Mrs. Maguire laughed genially. She was standing with Ruth and Alice,who were waiting for their father to join them. Most of the otherperformers had now gone.
"Oh, you'll get so you won't mind that a bit!" went on Mrs. Maguire."Sure, I used to eat my heart over it in my younger days, but now Ionly laugh. It's part of the business. It's a tribute to your acting,my dear, and you ought to take it as such. Don't mind it."
"Oh, but it was so--so uncalled--for!" murmured Ruth. "I think Imust--"
"Hush! Here comes daddy!" interrupted Alice. "Don't let him knowabout it."
"That's wise," commented Mrs. Maguire. "Though probably he's seenenough of it in his time. But perhaps he wouldn't like to know thatit bothered you. Best say nothing to him, my dears. It will wear awaysoon enough."
"No, we won't say anything," agreed Alice, slipping her arm throughher sister's. "Papa has enough trouble as it is."
A little later, as the girls were walking along with Mr. DeVere, heasked them:
"Well, how did you like your parts in the movies?"
"Fine. It was so interesting, Dad!" exclaimed Ruth.
"I'd like to do some more!" echoed Alice, with a meaning look at hersister.
"Well, I must see what sort of parts Mr. Pertell will cast you for,"said Mr. DeVere. "But I am glad you like the work. It may be a greatdeal better for all of us to be in this than if I was alone in aregular theater. We can always be together now, and certainly myvoice doesn't seem to be improving very fast."
This was only too true. Several visits to the physician, and a heroiccourse of treatment, had resulted in only a slight improvement. Thepain in the vocal chords had been lessened, but the huskinessremained, so that it would have been practically impossible for Mr.DeVere to speak his lines in a regular theater. So the movingpictures were suited to him.
The DeVere family was now in much better circumstances than when wefirst made their acquaintance. They had been gradually paying theback bills, the landlord had been appeased, so that there was nodanger of dispossession, and there was much happiness in the littleflat.
"We could even afford a better one, if you girls would like to move,"said Mr. DeVere one day.
"Oh, no, let's stay," suggested Ruth. "We can save a little money byremaining here, and paying less rent."
"Besides, we have such nice neighbors!" observed Alice, with a glanceat the Dalwood apartments across the hall, at the same time givingRuth a sly nudge.
"Stop it!" commanded Ruth. "What do you mean, Alice?"
"Just what I said--we have _such_ nice neighbors across the way," andshe gave a little pinch to her sister's blushing cheek.
"Yes, the Dalwoods are very good friends," remarked Mr. DeVere, allunconscious of this little by-play between his daughters. "And Russis certainly a fine young man."
"Indeed he is; isn't he, Ruth?" asked Alice tantalizingly.
"Oh, yes, I suppose so," was the blushing answer. "But how should Iknow--any more than you do about Paul Ardite?" and she glancedshrewdly at Alice.
"A hit, I suppose you would call that. A Roland for my Oliver, mydear!" laughed Alice, frankly. "I don't mind."
She looked toward her father, but he was so absorbed in looking overa new part he was to take, that he paid little attention to thechatter of the girls.
A few days after the first appearance of Ruth and Alice before themoving picture camera, in the small roles they had taken to bridgeover an emergency, Mr. Pertell brought them their parts in a newdrama. Meanwhile it had been ascertained that the films where thegirls filled in had been a success. Ruth and Alice felt a littlediffident about going to the studio again, especially after the scenewith the jealous actresses.
But Miss Dixon and Miss Pennington appeared to have gotten over theirpique, and they acted as though they had never said anything to woundor annoy Ruth and Alice. The latter, however, could not forget it,and were rather cool toward their fellow-players.
"Here are your new parts," said Mr. Pertell. "Look them over withyour father as soon as you can. He is to be in the play with you."
"Oh, isn't this exciting!" cried Alice, as she took the typewrittenmanuscript. "Real parts at last, Ruth!"
"Yes. We will be real actresses if we keep on. I wonder what I amcast for?"
"My! We're becoming quite adept in theatrical talk. Ahem!" laughedAlice with pretended sarcasm.
Miss Pennington and Miss Dixon, who were already rehearsing foranother play, looked over at the two enthusiastic sisters, andshrugged their shoulders.
"Wait until they have been in it as long as we have, my dear, thenthey won't be so jolly," remarked Miss Pennington.
"Oh, I don't know as you can include me," was Miss Dixon's rathertart comment. "_I_ haven't been at it so many years."
"Oh, haven't you?" asked Miss Pennington, with a raising of herpenciled eyebrows. "Excuse me, my dear!"
"Don't mention it!"
"Get on to that, would you!" exclaimed Pop Snooks to Mr. Sneed. "Thetwo old-timers are scrappin'."
"I knew they would," was the grouchy rejoinder. "They'll have a realquarrel, and both quit, and that'll mean some new members in thecompany. And just as we are about through rehearsing that piece, andabout to film it, too. That means I'll have to do it all over again.I knew something would happen!"
"Oh, cheer up! The worst is yet to come!" laughed Paul Ardite."Here's Switzer looking as red as a lobster. What is it now, Carl?"he asked.
"Ach! Vot isn't der matter?" cried the moon-faced one. "I haf a partvot incessitates me to be bound und gagged by a band of robbers, undstood in a corner vhile dey loot der blace."
"Well, that's a nice, romantic part," observed Paul.
"Yah, but how would you like to haf a rag stuffed in your mout so votyou couldn't breath yet for five minutes? How vould you like dot;hey? Dell me dot!"
"Oh, well, tell 'em to leave you a breathing hole," laughed Paul.
"Where is Mr. Pertell? Where is he? I demand to see him at once!"broke in the voice of Wellington Bunn. "I must see him instantly!"
"He was here a moment ago, giving the Misses DeVere their parts,"replied Paul. "Why, is the place on fire?"
"No, but I refuse to take the part he has assigned to me. I utterlyand positively refuse to so demean myself."
"What part have you?" asked the young fellow, looking over at Aliceand nodding.
"Why, he has cast me--I, who have played all the principalShakespearean characters--he has cast me--Wellington Bunn--as awaiter in a hotel scene! Where is Mr. Pertell? I refuse to take thatcharacter!"
"Oh, what's the trouble now?" asked the manager, coming from hisoffice. The Shakespearean actor explained.
"Now see here!" exclaimed Mr. Pertell, with more anger than heusually displayed. "You'll take that part, Mr. Bunn, or leave thecompany! It is an important part, and has to do with the developmentof the plot. Why, as that waiter you intercept the taking of tenthousand dollars, and prevent the heroine from being abducted.A
fterward you become rich, and blossom out as a theatrical manager."
"And do I produce Shakespeare?" asked the old actor, eagerly.
"There's nothing to stop you--in the play," returned Mr. Pertell,rather drily.
"Oh, then it's all right," said Mr. Bunn, with a sigh of relief."I'll take the part."
Rehearsals were going on in various parts of the studio, and someplays were being filmed. Russ Dalwood was busy at one of thecameras.
"Have you got a part you like, Ruth?" asked Alice, when she hadfinished looking over her lines.
"Indeed I have, I'm supposed to be Lady Montgomery, and there are twocounts in love with me. At least, one is a count and the otherpretends to be one. It's quite romantic. What is yours?"
"Mine's jolly. I'm a school girl, always up to some trick or other,and--yes, see here--why in one of my tricks I disclose that thepretended count who's in love with you is only an organ grinder! Oh,that will be fun," and she laughed gleefully.
"Do you like your parts?" asked the manager, coming up.
"Indeed we do!" chorused Ruth and Alice.
"Then talk to your father about them," he advised. "See what he says,and if he is willing you may begin rehearsals with him, and theothers of the cast."
Mr. DeVere was fully satisfied with the parts assigned to hisdaughters, and agreed to allow them to enter formally into the workof the moving pictures at a very fair salary for beginners. Theothers of the company were called together, including Paul Ardite,and the best method of getting the finest results out of the dramawas discussed.
In the days that followed, Ruth and Alice, as well as the others, didhard work. It is not as easy to go through a moving picture play asit appears merely from seeing the film on the white curtain. Somescenes have to be rehearsed over and over again, and often, afterbeing filmed, some defect results and the work has to be all doneonce more.
Mr. DeVere rehearsed his daughters at home in the intervals of theirappearance at the studio, and this redounded to their benefit. Theywere thus able to do effective work, and Mr. Pertell complimentedthem on it.
The play was soon ready for filming, and Russ was chosen to work thecamera. Some of the scenes were out of doors, in a big flower garden,and for this the company was taken to Brooklyn, where a private ownerwas induced to allow his place to be used for a few minutes. Ruth andAlice enjoyed their part in the flower garden very much.
Finally the last rehearsal was had, and the day was set for makingthe films of the first real, big play in which the two girls had evertaken part. As they were leaving the studio together, on theafternoon of the day before the first "performance," they saw a groupof children standing down near the main entrance.
"There go some of the moving picture girls now," one boy exclaimed.
"Don't I wish I was them!" sighed a tall, lanky girl next him. "Ain'tthey nice, Jimmie?"
"They sure is!" was the enthusiastic rejoinder.
"We're achieving fame, Ruth," laughed Alice.
"Such as it is--yes," replied her sister. "'Moving picture girls';eh? Well, I suppose we are."
The Moving Picture Girls; Or, First Appearances in Photo Dramas Page 16
