"

"Go tell Jane."

He discovered her in the kitchenette, and delivered the message. She
nodded. Jerry entertained the invalid until Jane appeared with food;
then he hurried off to dress, promising to return later and display
himself as David.

In half an hour the door burst open unceremoniously and Jerry came in.
Both women exclaimed. He was David, the goatherd, clad in a skin,
carrying his sling. His splendid body was revealed and led up to the
boyish beauty of his head. He had let his hair grow a trifle long for
the occasion, so that it curled as softly as a Greek god's. The way his
head rose from his shoulders was thrilling. But this impression of
splendid youth was dimmed by his evident distress.

"This damned thing will be the end of me yet!" he cried. "The girl who
was to be Salome has failed us."

"Jerry! What a shame!"

"Her mother is dangerously ill. Mrs. Brendon has just telephoned. She is
trying to get a professional dancer. We've got to have _somebody_ there.
They're sending the costume here. Bobs, _you_ could do it."

"Jerry, I can't stand up."

"Oh, Lord, there's Jinny. I'll get her."

He was gone only a moment.

"Nobody there," he groaned.

"They've gone out to dinner," Jane said.

"Jane, be an angel and go round the neighbourhood and try to find the
Chatfields. I can't go round in this rig."

She hurried off. Half an hour later she came back, breathless and
flushed, to find Jerry nearly beside himself with nervous excitement,
and Bobs white as death.

"They aren't anywhere. They must have gone uptown to dine," she
reported.

"Jane could do it," said Bobs.

Jerry looked at Jane, flushed, eyes shining. He had never seen her
before.

"By the Living Light! Jane Judd, will you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Be Salome in my show."

"Certainly not."

"But you've got to! Listen! Put on the costume, and do as I tell you.
We'll cut the dance, so you won't have a thing to do but walk down a
flight of stairs."

"Jane, you've got to do it," cried Bobs. "Somebody has got to help Jerry
out, and you're the only one left."

"But I couldn't do it. I never was in a show. I would mix it all up."

"No, you wouldn't. The whole success of this scene is up to you, Miss
Judd. Won't you _please_ do it? We ought to be there in thirty minutes."

"Where's the costume?"

"Here. It came while you were gone."

Bobs sat up and began taking it out of the box.

"I can't do it, Mr. Paxton," Jane repeated.