After the day's work was ended, and it
included the filming of several scenes for important dramas, Mr. Pertell
called his players together, and said:

"Ladies and gentlemen--also Tommy and Nellie, for you will be in on
this, I hope--we are going to leave New York City again, and be together
in a new place to make a series of plays."

"Leave New York!" gasped Miss Pennington.

"I hope we don't go to Oak Farm again!" cried Miss Dixon. "I want to be
in some place where I can get a lobster now and then."

"There will be no lobsters at Deerfield!" said Mr. Pertell, with a
smile, "unless there are some of the canned variety."

"How horrid!" complained Miss Pennington.

"Will there be deers there?" asked Tommy, with big eyes.

"I think there will, sonny," answered the manager.

"Reindeers--like Santa Claus has?" little Nellie wanted to know.

"Well, I guess so!" laughed Mr. Pertell. "At any rate, I plan to take
you all there."

"Where is Deerfield, if one may ask?" inquired Miss Dixon, pertly.

"Deerfield is a sort of backwoods settlement, in one of our New England
States," explained the manager. "It is rather isolated, but I want to go
there to get some scenes for moving pictures with good snow, and ice
effects as backgrounds."

"Are there good hotels there?" Miss Pennington demanded.

"We are going to stop in a big hunting lodge, that I have hired for the
occasion," Mr. Pertell replied. "I think you will like it very much."

"Hold on! One moment!" exclaimed Mr. Sneed, the grouchy actor. "You may
count me out of this! I shall go to no backwoods, in the middle of
winter, and freeze. I cannot stand the cold. I shall resign at once!"

"One moment. Before you decide that, I have something else to say to
you," said Mr. Pertell, and there was a smile on his face.

CHAPTER VII

OFF TO THE WOODS

The moving picture players looked curiously at the manager, and then at
Mr. Sneed. They were used to this action on his part, and also on the
part of Mr. Bunn--that of resigning when anything did not suit them. But
matters with either of them seldom went farther than the mere threat.

"I know it will not be as pleasant, as regards weather conditions, at
Elk Lodge, Deerfield, as it was at Oak Farm," said Mr. Pertell. "But the
lodge is a big building, very quaint and picturesque, I have been told,
and it has all the comforts, and many of the conveniences, of life.
There are big, open fireplaces, and plenty of lo