mmered brassware and rare shawls.

The bad sheik was caught near the group bending an evil glare upon the
beauteous English girl, and once the camera turned while she faced
him with a little shiver of apprehension. Later the sheik was caught
bargaining for a camel train with the innocent-looking old gentleman
in the sun-hat. Undoubtedly the sheik was about to lead them into the
desert for no good purpose. A dreadful fate seemed in store for the
girl, but she must be left to face it without the support of Merton
Gill.

The lately hired extras were now dismissed. They trooped back to
the dressing room to doff their flowing robes and remove the Bedouin
make-up. Merton Gill went from the dressing room to the little window
through which he had received his robe and his slip was returned to him
signed by the assistant director. It had now become a paper of value,
even to Mrs. Patterson; but she was never to know this, for its owner
went down the street to another window and relinquished it for a
five-dollar bill.

The bill was adorned with a portrait of Benjamin Harrison smugly
radiating prosperity from every hair in his beard. He was clearly one
who had never gone hungry nor betrayed the confidence of a society woman
counting upon her room rent strictly in advance. The portrait of this
successful man was borne swiftly to the cafeteria where its present
owner lavishly heaped a tray with excellent food and hastened with it
to a table. He ate with but slight regard for his surroundings. Beulah
Baxter herself might have occupied a neighbouring table without coming
to his notice at once. He was very hungry. The catsup-laden soup had
proved to be little more than an appetizer.

In his first ardour he forgot his plight. It was not until later in the
meal that the accusing face of Mrs. Patterson came between him and the
last of his stew which he secured with blotters of bread. Even then he
ignored the woman. He had other things to think of. He had to think of
where he should sleep that night. But for once he had eaten enough; his
optimism was again enthroned.

Sleeping, after all, was not like eating. There were more ways to manage
it. The law of sleep would in time enforce itself, while eating did
nothing of the sort. You might sleep for nothing, but someone had to
be paid if you ate. He cheerfully paid eighty cents for his repast. The
catsup as an appetizer had been ruinous.

It was late in the afternoon when he left the ca