inflamed with wine. And there was a shot of Muriel
perceiving at last the blight of Broadway and going to a table at which
sat a pale, noble-looking young man with a high forehead, who presently
led her out into the night to the real life of the worthy poor.
Later the deserted admirer became again a roue inflamed with wine and
submitted to a close-up that would depict his baffled rage. He clenched
his hands in this and seemed to convey, with a snarling lift of his lip,
that the girl would yet be his. Merton Gill had ceased to smoke. He
had sounded on Broadway even the shallow pleasure of cigarettes. He was
thoroughly blighted.

At last a megaphoned announcement from the assistant director dismissing
the extras, keeping the star, the lead, and a few small-part people, to
clean up medium shots, "dramatics," and other work requiring no crowd.
"All you extra people here to-morrow morning, eight-thirty, same clothes
and make-up." There was a quick breaking up of the revelry. The Broadway
pleasure-seekers threw off the blight and stormed the assistant director
for slips of paper which he was now issuing. Merton Gill received one,
labelled "Talent check." There was fine print upon it which he took
no pains to read, beyond gathering its general effect that the Victor
Film-art Company had the full right to use any photographs of him that
its agents might that day have obtained. What engrossed him to the
exclusion of this legal formality was the item that he would now be paid
seven dollars and fifty cents for his day's work--and once he had been
forced to toil half a week for this sum! Emerging from the stage into
the sunlight he encountered the Montague girl who hailed him as he would
have turned to avoid her.

"Say, trouper, I thought I'd tell you in case you didn't know--we don't
take our slips to that dame in that outside cafeteria any more. She
always pinches off a quarter or may be four bits. They got it fixed
now so the cash is always on tap in the office. I just thought I'd tell
you."

"Thanks," he said, still with the jaded air of the disillusioned. He
had only the vaguest notion of her meaning, but her intention had been
kindly. "Thank you very much."

"Oh, don't mention it. I just thought I'd tell you." She glanced after
him shrewdly.

Nearing the office he observed a long line of Broadway revellers waiting
to cash their slips. Its head was lost inside the building and it
trailed far outside. No longer was any bl