isn't dangerous; is it?" asked Alice, and she rather faltered
over the words.

"Not if the thing works," replied Paul, with a shrug of his shoulders.
"That is, if the rope doesn't break, or pay out so fast that I hit the
pavement with a bump."

"Oh, is it as dangerous as that?" exclaimed Alice, looking at Paul
intently.

"Don't worry," and he smiled. "I guess the apparatus has been tested
before. I'm getting used to risks in this business."

"What time to-morrow is it?" queried Ruth.

"Right after lunch," Russ responded. "I've got to film him."

"Then I'm coming to see you!" declared Alice. "I'm off directly after
lunch. I haven't much on for to-morrow."

"Oh, Alice! You wouldn't go!" cried her sister.

"Of course I would, my dear!"

"But suppose something--happened?" Ruth went on in a low voice, as Russ
and Paul started out together.

"All the more reason why I should be there!" declared Alice, promptly,
and Ruth looked at her with a new light of understanding in her eyes.
And then she looked at Paul, who waved his hand gaily at the younger
girl.

"Dear little sister," murmured Ruth. "I wonder----?"

"I'll look for you there," called Paul, as he went on down the hall.

"And I'll be there," promised Alice.

"Do you feel better now, Daddy?" asked Ruth, in their rooms.

"Much better--yes, my dear. That new spray the doctor gave me seems to
work wonders. And my throat is really better since our trip South. I
feel quite encouraged."

It was after supper in the DeVere apartment. The two girls were seated
at the sitting-room table with their father, who was looking over a new
play in which he had a part. Alice was reading a newspaper and Ruth
mending a pair of stockings.

"Well, there's one good thing about going out West," finally remarked
the younger girl, as she tossed aside the paper, and caught up a hairpin
which her vigorous motion had caused to slip out of her brown tresses.

"What's that--you won't have to fuss so about dress?" asked Ruth, for
her sister did not share her ideas on this subject.

"No, but if we do go there won't be any trouble about that International
company trying to steal Mr. Pertell's secrets."

"I don't know about that," observed Mr. DeVere, slowly. "If they are
after his big drama they may even follow us out West."

"Oh, I hope not!" exclaimed Ruth, pausing with extended needle. "I don't
like trouble."

"There may be no trouble," her father assured her, with a smile. "