the
land.

Mr. Hammond's films taken at Lumberton were of an educational nature and
the Board of Trade of the city expected much advertising of the industries
of the place when the films were released.

However, to get back to Mrs. Sadoc Smith--Her instructions from Mrs.
Tellingham included the putting out of the lamp in the big room the four
Briarwood girls occupied by ten o'clock every night; but Mrs. Smith
allowed Ruth to come downstairs after the other girls were in bed and
write under the radiance of the reading lamp on her sitting-room table. It
was quiet there, for Mrs. Sadoc Smith either sent Curly to bed, or made
him keep as still as a mouse. And there was nobody else to disturb the
young author as she wrote, save the cat that delighted to jump up into her
lap and lie there purring, while the scenario was being written.

Ruth did not avail herself of this privilege often; but she was desirous
for the scenario to be finished and in Mr. Hammond's hands. So sure had
that gentleman been of her success, and so pleased was he with the plan of
the entire play, that he had taken a copy of the first part with him when
he left Lumberton and now wrote that Mr. Grimes was already making a few
of the studio scenes.

The young author rather shrank from letting the pugnacious Mr. Grimes have
anything to do with her story; but she knew that both Mr. Hammond and
Hazel Gray thought highly of the man's ability. Nor was she in a position
to insist upon any other director. She was working for Briarwood, not for
her own advantage.

"If Grimes takes hold of it with his usual vigor, it will be a success,"
Mr. Hammond assured Ruth in his letter. "Hurry along the rest of the play.
Spring is upon us, and we shall have some good open weather soon in which
to take the pictures at Briarwood Hall."

Ruth hurried. Indeed, the story was finished so rapidly that the girl
scarcely realized what she had done. There was no time for her to go over
the scenario carefully for revision and polishing. The last scenes she
read to nobody; she scarcely knew herself how they sounded.

Ruth Fielding had written an ingenious and very original scenario. Its
crudities were many and manifest; nevertheless, the true gold was there.
Mr. Hammond had recognized the originality of the girl's ideas in the
first part of the play. He was not going into the scheme, and risking his
money and reputation as a film producer, from any feeling of sentiment. It
was a