erved,
"their faces would have registered more poignant interest."

"'Poignant interest'!" scoffed the manager in disgust. "If these
Herringport tabbies had the toothache they would register only polite
anguish--in public. They are the most insular and self-contained and
self-suppressed women I ever saw. These Down-Easters! They could walk over
fiery ploughshares and only wanly smile----"

Ruth went off into a gale of laughter at this. Mr. Hammond was a Westerner
by birth, and he found the Yankee character as hard to understand as did
Henri Marchand.

"Have you quite given up hope, Mr. Hammond?" Ruth asked.

"Well, we'll try again to-morrow. Oh, they promised to come again! They
are cutting out rompers, or flannel undervests, I suppose, for the South
Sea Island children; or something like that. They are interested in that
job, no doubt.

"I wanted them to 'let go all holts,' as these fishermen say, and be eager
and excited. They are about as eager as they would be doing their washing,
or cleaning house--if as much!" and Mr. Hammond's disappointment became
too deep for further audible expression.

Ruth suddenly awoke to the fact that one of her best scenes in the
"Seaside Idyl" was likely to be spoiled. She talked with Mr. Hooley about
it, and when the day's run was developed and run off in one of the shacks
which was used for a try-out room, Ruth saw that the manager had not put
the matter too strongly. The sewing circle scene lacked all that snap and
go needed to make it a realistic piece of action.

Of course, there were enough character actors in the company to use in the
scene; but naturally an actor caricatures such parts as were called for in
this scene. The professional would be likely to make the characters seem
grotesque. That was not the aim of the story.

"I thought you were not going to take any interest in this 'Seaside Idyl,'
at all," suggested Helen, when Ruth was talking about the failure of the
scene after supper that night.

"I can't help it. My reputation as a scenario writer is at stake, just as
much as is Mr. Hooley's reputation as director," Ruth said, smiling. "I
really didn't mean to have a thing to do with the old picture. But I can
see that somebody has got to put a breath of naturalness into those
ladies' aid society women, or this part of the picture will be a fizzle."

"And our Ruth," drawled Jennie, "is going to prescribe one of her famous
cure-alls, is she?"

"I believe I can