The Moving Picture Girls; Or, First Appearances in Photo Dramas
Page 25
CHAPTER XXV
THE CAPTURE
Mr. DeVere was rather worried when he reached home, and found hisdaughters' note. He puzzled over what could have taken them out withRuss, and went across the hall to inquire. By this time Mrs. Dalwoodhad returned, and found the note her son had left.
There was not much information in it--Russ had not had time forthat--and the mystery seemed all the deeper.
"I wonder what I had better do?" asked Mr. DeVere of Mrs. Dalwood.
"Just don't do anything--and don't worry," she advised. "I know yourdaughters are able to take care of themselves--especially MissAlice."
"Yes, she seems very capable--of late," he agreed, remembering howshe had worked to get him into the moving picture business.
"And with Russ no harm will come to them," went on Mrs. Dalwood."He's a good boy."
"Indeed he is! But I wish I knew what it was all about."
There was the honk of an auto horn in the street below, and as theylooked out, they saw, in the gleam of a street lamp, Ruth and Alicealighting.
"There they are now!" exclaimed Mr. DeVere, with a note of relief inhis voice.
"But Russ isn't with them!" said Mrs. Dalwood, in surprise. "I wonderwhat can have happened to him?"
Anxiously the two parents waited until the girls came up.
"Oh, such a time!" cried Alice, breathlessly.
"Where's Russ?" demanded his mother.
"After the men--Simp Wolley and Bud Brisket!"
"Oh, those horrid men!"
"He's all right," said Ruth, gently. "He is going to get Mr. Pertelland an officer to go with him."
"But what is it all about?" asked Mr. DeVere.
Then, rather disjointedly, and with many interruptions, the girlstold the story of the afternoon and evening, for it was now nearlynine o'clock. Of course Mr. DeVere and Mrs. Dalwood were much worriedwhen they learned what had happened, and the widow was not at herease when she thought of her son still not out of danger.
"But I'm sure he will soon be back," declared Alice, confidently. Shewas a great comfort in trouble--a real optimist.
Then followed a period of anxious waiting.
It was broken by the return of Russ, rather disheveled, tired andexcited, but with his precious model safe in the taxicab with him andMr. Pertell.
"Why, Russ, where have you been?" cried Mrs. Dalwood.
"I just wish I'd been there!" exclaimed Billy. "Was there a fight,Russ?"
"A--little one," he admitted, with a glance at the girls. "But it wassoon over."
"And where are the men now?" asked Alice.
"Safe in jail."
Then he told what had happened.
After Alice and Ruth had gone home in the taxicab he had called forMr. Pertell, explaining what had occurred. A special officer wasengaged, and the three went to the address in Jersey City, whereWolley and Brisket had gone with the model. The place was in a ratherdisreputable neighborhood. In a back room, which was approached withcaution, the two plotters were found with a draughtsman whom theyhad hired to make drawings of the model.
The two scoundrels were taken by surprise and easily overpowered,after a short resistance. The draughtsman was an innocent party, andwas allowed to go, after promising to give evidence against Wolleyand Brisket. The latter were put under arrest, and with his preciousmodel safe in his possession Russ started for home.
"They didn't have time to do a thing!" exclaimed the young inventor,enthusiastically. "Thanks to you girls."
"Oh, we didn't do anything," said Ruth, modestly.
"I think you did!" cried Russ, looking at her admiringly.
"It was all Alice!" she said.
"'Twas you who thought of the most practical plans!" insisted theyounger girl. "Oh, Russ! I'm so glad!"
"And so am I," said Ruth, softly.
"Well, I must say, for two girls who haven't been much in publiclife, you two are coming on," said Mr. DeVere, in his hoarse tones."But I am glad of it!"
The prompt action of Alice and Ruth, enabling Russ to recover hisinvention, worked against the plans of the plotters. They wereeasily convicted of fraud, and sent to prison. As for the inventionof Russ, he soon perfected it, and put it out on royalty. Many movingpicture machine men agreed to use it on their projectors, and to payhim a sum each year for the privilege. So Russ was assured of agoodly income for some time.
* * * * *
"Well," said Ruth the next morning, as she and Alice arose late aftertheir evening of excitement, "now that is over, the next matter to beconsidered is: What are we going to do from now on?"
"Act in moving pictures, I should say," replied Alice. "We seem to becommitted to it now. I wonder how that big drama came out? I hopeit's a success. For I do so want to go on the rural circuit; don'tyou?"
"I think I do," answered Ruth.
"Russ is going along to make the pictures, I believe," added Alice,softly.
"Is he?" asked Ruth, with an air of indifference. "And I suppose PaulArdite will be one of the company," she added.
"How'd you guess?" laughed Alice.
"A little bird told me."
Two days later the entire company who had taken part in the making ofthe big film, scenes of which were laid on the yacht, were invitedto see the pictures projected.
From the very first it was seen that the play was going to be asuccess--at least from a mechanical standpoint and some time later itwas demonstrated to be a success from a popular one also.
The girls looked on while the pictures of themselves, their fatherand others of the company were thrown on the white screen. They sawthe scene at the gang-plank, where the runaway had almost spoiled it,but there was no sign of the horse in the pictures. Sandy Apgar hadtaken care of that.
"I really must go out to see his farm," said Mr. Pertell. "I believeit may be just the place for us. But I wonder what made Sandy so sad,and so much in need of money? Perhaps I can help him."
There came the incident of Pepper Sneed falling down with thelifeboat.
"Look! Look!" cried the grouchy actor. "I don't like that! It makesme ridiculous. I demand that it be taken out, Mr. Pertell!"
"Can't do it! That's the best part of the play!" laughed the manager.
"And as for me--I positively refuse to act again, if I am to be shownas a sailor, in those ridiculous white trousers!" cried WellingtonBunn.
"Very well, then, I suppose you don't care to go on the rural circuitwith us," said Mr. Pertell.
"Oh--er--ah! Um! Well, you may with-hold my resignation for a time,"said the Shakespearean actor, stiffly. "But it is against myprinciples."
"Then we are going on the rural circuit?" asked Alice, eagerly.
"Yes," the manager assured her. "This play is going to be a bigsuccess, I'm sure. I want to try a new kind now--outdoor scenes."
And that the play was a success was soon evidenced by the receiptswhich poured into the treasury of the Comet Film Company.
"Oh, what do you imagine it will be like--in the country?" asked Ruthof Alice, a little later, when it was definitely decided that theywere to go.
"I don't know," answered Alice. "It depends on what happens."
And what did happen may be learned by reading the next volume of thisseries, to be called: "The Moving Picture Girls at Oak Farm; Or,Queer Happenings While Taking Rural Plays."
"Well, I'll be glad of a little rest," said Alice, one day, whenthey were coming from the studio, after having posed in some scenesfor a little parlor drama.
"So will I," agreed Ruth. "We have been very busy these last twoweeks."
"Especially since we helped Russ to get back his patent," added hersister. "And now for Oak Farm!"
"Oh, then it's been definitely decided that we are to go there?"
"Yes, Mr. Pertell said he went out there, met Sandy Apgar andarranged to use the place. We're to board there, too. I guess it willbe a help to the Apgars. Mr. Pertell said they needed money. And,Ruth, he said there was som
e sort of a mystery out there, too."
"A mystery? What sort?"
"I don't know. We'll have to wait until we get there. Come on, let'shurry home and tell daddy."
And now, for a time, we will take leave of the Moving Picture Girls.
THE END
=THE JANICE DAY SERIES=
=By HELEN BEECHER LONG=
_12 mo, cloth, illustrated, and colored jacket_
A series of books for girls which have been uniformly successful.Janice Day is a character that will live long in juvenile fiction.Every volume is full of inspiration. There is an abundance of humor,quaint situations, and worth-while effort, and likewise plenty ofplot and mystery.
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THE TESTING OF JANICE DAY
HOW JANICE DAY WON
THE MISSION OF JANICE DAY
=THE NAN SHERWOOD SERIES=
By Annie Roe Carr
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In Annie Roe Carr we have found a young woman of wide experienceamong girls--in schoolroom, in camp and while traveling. She knowsgirls of to-day thoroughly--their likes and dislikes--and knows thatthey demand almost as much action as do the boys. And she knowshumor--good, clean fun and plenty of it.
NAN SHERWOOD AT PINE CAMP or The Old Lumberman's Secret
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NAN SHERWOOD'S WINTER HOLIDAYS or Rescuing the Runaways
NAN SHERWOOD AT ROSE RANCH or The Old Mexican's Treasure
NAN SHERWOOD AT PALM BEACH or Strange Adventures Among the Orange Groves