eps she hurried, meeting no one,
for Miss Nevin was at Assembly Hall and the servants' quarters were at
the back of the house. Knowing the house as she did, Grace went straight
to Eleanor's room and to the wardrobe. Sure enough, Anne's missing
costumes were lying in a neat heap on the floor. Assuring herself that
everything was there, Grace piled them up in her arms and sped softly
down the stairs, opened the door, and in a twinkling was down the drive
and into the runabout.

She drove back even faster than she had come. As she passed the city
hall clock she drew a breath of relief. It was ten minutes of nine. The
first act was hardly half over. Leaping from the machine with the lost
costumes she ran triumphantly into the dressing room.

"Here she is," shrieked Nora in delight. "I knew she'd make good."

"Are they all there, Grace," anxiously inquired Miss Tebbs. "You dear,
good child. Where did you find them?"

"That is a mystery which even Sherlock Holmes can never solve," replied
Grace, laughing. "Where's Anne?"

"She's on just now with Celia," replied Miss Tebbs, "and is playing up
to her usual form, but she is very nervous and almost broke down after
you left. She feels that you made too great a sacrifice for her in
giving up your part."

"Nonsense," said Grace. "Why should I have sacrificed the star to my own
personal vanity? Miriam Nesbit can play Orlando as well as I, and makes
a more striking appearance at that."

"I don't agree with you, Grace, for you were an ideal 'Orlando,'"
replied Miss Tebbs. "However it's too late for regret, and the best
I can do now is to make you assistant stage manager. Some of those girls
need looking after. Miss Savell had a bad case of stage fright and
almost had to be dragged on. She forgot her lines and had to be
prompted. She's all right now, but I am devoutly thankful she didn't
play 'Rosalind,' for she certainly would not have done justice to it."

Grace smiled grimly as she listened to Miss Tebbs. She could not feel
sorry at Eleanor's recent agitation. Now that the excitement was over,
Grace felt her anger rising. Eleanor's thirst for glory and revenge had
been the means of losing Grace the part that she had so eagerly looked
forward to playing, not to mention the narrow escape Anne had run.
Still, on the whole, Grace felt glad that so far no one knew the truth.

"I think I'll go into the wings. It's almost time for the curtain," she
said to Miss Tebbs. But before