in
spite of himself by the voice of a newcomer.

"Hello, Jeff! Atta boy!"

He knew without turning that the Montague girl was again at his elbow.
He wondered if she could be following him.

"Hello, Flips! How's the kid?" The producer had turned cordially to her.
"Just in time for the breakaway stuff. See how you like it."

"What's the big idea?"

"Swell reception at the Maison de Glue, with the waiters on roller
skates in honour of rich Uncle Rollo Glue. The head waiter starts the
fight by doing a fall with his tray. Tom gets the tray in the neck and
soaks the nearest man banquet goes flooey. Then we go into the chase
stuff."

"Which is Uncle Rollo?"

"That's him at the table, with the herbaceous border under his chin."

"Is he in the fight?"

"I think so. I was going to rehearse it once more to see if I could get
a better idea. Near as I can see now, everybody takes a crack at him."

"Well, maybe." Montague girl seemed to be considering. "Say, how about
this, Jeff? He's awful hungry, see, and he's begun to eat the celery and
everything he can reach, and when the mix-up starts he just eats on and
pays no attention to it. Never even looks up, see what I mean? The fight
spreads the whole length of the table; right around Rollo half-a-dozen
murders are going on and he just eats and pays no attention. And he's
still eating when they're all down and out, and don't know a thing till
Charlie or someone crowns him with the punch-bowl. How about it? Ain't
there a laugh in that?" Baird had listened respectfully and now patted
the girl on a shoulder.

"Good work, Kid! That's a gag, all right. The little bean's sparking
on all six, ain't it? Drop around again. We need folks like you.
Now, listen, Rollo--you there, Rollo, come here and get this. Now,
listen--when the fight begins--"

Merton Gill turned decisively away. Such coarse foolery as this was
too remote from Beulah Baxter who, somewhere on that lot, was doing
something really, as her interview had put it, distinctive and worth
while.

He lingered only to hear the last of Baird's instructions to Rollo and
the absurd guests, finding some sinister fascination in the man's talk.
Baird then turned to the girl, who had also started off.

"Hang around, Flips. Why the rush?"

"Got to beat it over to Number Pour."

"Got anything good there?"

"Nothing that will get me any billing. Been waiting two hours now just
to look frenzied in a mob."

"Well, say, come a