a great writer," explained Ruth. "I'll let you take one of
his books."

"I wish you would," said Russ, seriously. "I never had much of a chance
to get an education, but I like to know things."

"So do I," agreed Ruth. "I never tire of Emerson."

Mr. DeVere was surprised when he heard about the accident to Merley.

"I can't understand it," said the girls' father. "He must have been
hurt, and yet--er--was he in a sensible condition, Russ?"

"Oh, yes, he seemed to be himself, all right," the young moving picture
operator replied, thoughtfully. "I haven't gotten to the bottom of it
myself."

And indeed it developed that there was a strange plot back of the
accident--a plot which involved the moving picture girls in an amazing
way, as will soon appear.

But puzzle over the odd accident as they might, neither Mr. DeVere, his
daughters, nor Russ could understand what it involved.

"At any rate, as you say, Ruth," the actor remarked with a smile, "there
is some compensation. He may not annoy me for some time; and,
meanwhile, I may think of a plan to prove I really paid that money."

"I hope so, Daddy!" she exclaimed. "Is your throat any better?"

"Yes, much," he replied with a smile. "Dr. Rathby is going to try a new
kind of spray treatment, and I had the first one this afternoon. It
helped me wonderfully."

"That's good!" exclaimed Alice.

The next day's papers contained a slight reference to the accident. It
was not important enough to warrant much space, and about all that was
said was that Merley claimed to have received an injury that made him
helpless, though its nature was a puzzle to the physician sent around by
the street car company.

"Well, if he's helpless, and the Lord knows I wish that to no man," said
Mr. DeVere, reverently, "he will not come here bothering you girls
again. If he confines his attacks to me I do not so much mind, but he
must leave you alone."

"That's what I say!" cried Russ.

When Mr. DeVere and his daughters arrived at the moving picture studio
that afternoon, for they were not to report until then, they found
notices posted, requesting all members of the company to remain after
rehearsal to hear an "important announcement."

"I wonder what it can be?" said Ruth.

"Probably it's about the new plans Mr. Pertell has been working on,"
suggested Alice.

"I think so," Russ said. He knew something of them, but had not
permission to reveal them.

And this proved to be the case.