lannels.

"Oh, very well, then," conceded the manager.

Russ had his camera in readiness, and, after making views of the two
lovers beneath the palms, he called:

"All ready for you, Mr. Towne," and he focused his camera in another
direction.

The well-dressed actor came on.

"Oh, run faster!" commanded Mr. Pertell, impatiently. "Act as though you
meant it. Put some spirit in it. You are supposed to be desperate because
your sweetheart has gone off with another man. You look as though you
didn't care!"

Thereupon Mr. Towne tried to "register" anger, and succeeded fairly well.
But in doing so he forgot to "mind his steps," and a moment later, in
running along the edge of the muddy stream he slipped, and the next
moment, in all the glory of his white suit, he splashed into the mud.

CHAPTER XV

IN PERIL

Russ instantly stopped grinding away at the camera handle as he saw Mr.
Towne go into the ditch, but the manager, without the loss of a moment,
cried:

"Film that, Russ! It'll be better than the way we were to play it first.
Catch him as he comes up!"

"All right!" chuckled the young operator.

"Oh, what a place to fall!" cried Miss Pennington, who was off one side,
out of the camera's range.

"His suit will surely need washing," remarked Alice.

"Oh, how can you be so heartless?" asked her sister.

"Heartless! Isn't that the truth?"

Mr. Towne had struggled to his feet. The muddy stream was not very deep.

"Help! Help! Save me!" he cried, as he wiped the water from his face,
thereby making many muddy streaks on his countenance.

"You're in no danger--come on out!" cried Mr. Pertell, trying not to
laugh. "Come right toward the camera, Mr. Towne, and register anger and
disgust!"

"Register--register!" spluttered the actor. "Do you mean to say you are
filming me in this state?"

"I certainly am--it's a state that will make a hit in the movies!" cried
Mr. Pertell. "You might fall down once more, if you don't mind, Mr.
Towne. It will add realism to the film."

"Fall down again! Never! I will resign first."

"Very well, I won't insist on it," replied the manager, for he felt that
it was rather hard on the actor.

But moving picture work is not at all easy, and actors and actresses have
to do more disagreeable and dangerous "stunts" than merely falling into a
muddy stream. The demand of the public for realism often goes to
extremes, and more than once performers have risked their lives at