g about it. You go
ahead and shoot, and put that scene over big. Don't you worry about
me; I'm going to play up to you, if I can. Listen! Pete's just
waiting for a chance to register your face on the film. Burns has
planned his scenes to prevent that, but we're just lying low till the
chance comes. It's got to be dramatic, and it's got to seem
accidental. Get me? I shouldn't have told you, but I can't seem to
trick you, Jean. You're the kind of a girl a fellow's got to play fair
with."

"Bobby has told me five times already to remember and keep my face away
from the camera," Jean pointed out the second time. "Makes me feel as
if I had lost my nose, or was cross-eyed or something. I do feel as if
I'd lose my job, Gil."

"No, you wouldn't; all he'd do would be to have a re-take of the whole
scene, and maybe step around like a turkey in the snow, and swear to
himself. Anyway, you can forget what I've said, if you'll feel more
comfortable. It's up to Pete and me, and we'll put it over smooth, or
we won't do it at all. Bobby won't realize it's happened till he hears
from it afterwards. Neither will you." He turned his grease-painted
face toward her hearteningly and smiled as endearingly as the sinister,
painted lines would allow.

"Listen!" he repeated as a final encouragement, because he had sensed
her preoccupation and had misread it for worry over the picture. "You
go ahead and shoot, and don't bother about me. Make it real. Shoot as
close as you like. If you pink me a little I won't care,--if you'll
promise to be my nurse. I want a vacation, anyway."

CHAPTER XIV

PUNCH VERSES PRESTIGE

It seems to be a popular belief among those who are unfamiliar with the
business of making motion pictures that all dangerous or difficult
feats are merely tricks of the camera, and that the actors themselves
take no risks whatever. The truth is that they take a good many more
risks than the camera ever records; and that directors who worship what
they call "punch" in their scenes are frequently as tender of the
physical safety of their actors as was Napoleon or any other great
warrior who measured results rather than wounds.

Robert Grant Burns had discovered that he had at least two persons in
his company who were perfectly willing to do anything he asked them to
do. He had set tasks before Jean Douglas that many a man would have
refused without losing his self-respect, and Jean had performed those
ta