the answer
Mr. Vandeford must make to Mr. Corbett's question.

"To play about thirty, I should say," answered Mr. Vandeford after a two
minutes' calculating.

"Only a month?" gasped Miss Adair, then colored home-made pink in the
height of embarrassment.

"Weeks." Mr. Vandeford answered her gasp without looking at her, but
taking the vow gallantly, considering that he felt Mazie Villines to be
his sole dependence for a winning manuscript version of "The Purple
Slipper."

During this question and answer Mr. Corbett was also calculating.

"About seven thousand if Adelaide makes the Hawtry layout," he finally
announced.

"Five hundred advance for the sketches, and a week's option," Mr.
Vandeford offered calmly.

"A thousand advance for models of costumes made up," answered Mr.
Corbett, just as calmly and firmly. "Have to hunt in museum for
materials to go by. Takes experts on fabrics."

"I can give you pieces of silk and things that are cut from the costumes
of that period." Miss Adair had learned, and she cut her remark into
the conference with precision and decision.

"Genuine?" questioned Mr. Corbett.

"Worn by the characters about whom the play is written."

"Then seven hundred and fifty for made-up models, Mr. Vandeford," Mr.
Corbett offered.

"The pieces will be large enough to make the models," Miss Adair said
with a curt firmness that was a combination of that used by both Mr.
Vandeford and Mr. Corbett and which both startled and delighted the
former.

"Six hundred for models, Corbett," he said with finality and with an
inward chuckle.

"Six-fifty, Mr. Vandeford," Mr. Corbett answered with equal finality,
and for the first time he stole a glance at the author.

"Goes! When?"

"Two weeks?"

"Goes! Good-morning, Mr. Corbett!"

Mr. Corbett's exit was immediate.

"I'm glad Miss Elvira made me put all the pieces of my dresses in my
trunk to patch with in case I tore anything. They saved us four hundred
dollars, didn't they?" Miss Adair said to Mr. Vandeford with gratified
business acumen shining in the sea-gray eyes. "I wasn't much in the way,
was I?"

"You were a great help, and that was the first time I ever succeeded in
jewing Corbett," answered Mr. Vandeford with satisfactory enthusiasm.
Something of relief over the guarding of his author showed in his voice,
which second note, however, he sounded too soon as the next ten minutes
proved to him. "Now we'll discuss the sets for the product