wrinkles
rayed away from his cold, sneering eyes that had no smile in them.

"I--I wouldn't like to make an enemy of a man like Obermuller, Mr.
Tausig."

"Bah! Ain't I told you he's on the toboggan?"

"But you never can tell with a man like that. Suppose he got into that
combine with Heffelfinger and Dixon and Weinstock?"

"What're you talking about?"

"Well, it's what I've heard."

"But Heffelfinger and Dixon and Weinstock are all in with us; who told
you that fairy story?"

"Obermuller himself."

The little fellow laughed. His is a creaky, almost silent little
laugh; if a spider could laugh he'd laugh that way.

"They're fooling him a bunch or two. Never you mind Obermuller. He's a
dead one."

"Oh, he said that you thought they were in with you, but that nothing
but a written agreement would hold men like that. And that you hadn't
got."

"Smart fellow, that Obermuller. He'd have been a good man to have in
the business if it hadn't been for those independent ideas he's got.
He's right; it takes--"

"So there is an agreement!" I shouted, in spite of myself, as I leaned
forward.

He sat back in his chair, or, rather, he let it swallow him again.

"What business is that of yours? Stick to the business on hand. Get to
work on that play with Mason inside. If it's good, and we decide to
put it on, we'll pay you five hundred dollars down in addition to your
salary. If it's rot, you'll have your salary weekly all the time
you're at it, just the same as if you were working, till I can place
you. In the meantime, keep your ears and eyes open and watch things,
and your mouth shut. I'll speak to Mason and he'll be ready for you
to-morrow morning. Come round in the morning; there's nobody about
then, and we want to keep this thing dark till it's done. Obermuller
mustn't get any idea what we're up to.... He don't love you--no--for
shaking him?"

"He's furious; wouldn't even say good-by. I'm done for with him,
anyway, I guess. But what could I do?"

"Nothing, my dear; nothing. You're a smart little girl," he chuckled.
"Ta-ta!"

XIII.

Just what I'd been hoping for I don't know, but I knew that my chance
had come that morning.

For a week I had been talking Obermuller's comedy to Mason, the
secretary. In the evenings I stood about in the wings and watched the
Van Twiller company in Brambles. There was one fat role in it that I
just ached for, but I lost all that ache and found another