et tower room, bursts his way through,
and saves the lovely maiden, like they always do in stories of those
olden times. But here's hoping the fire doesn't get out of control,
and set in to destroy the best part of this wonderful castle. Such
things have been known to happen, I've read."

"Gosh!" ejaculated Billy with morse than his accustomed vigor, "you're
only thinking of the humbug old castle, Alec, and what chance there
would be for your rich aunt to buy the same if half burned down.
Guess you forget the poor girl shut up in that lonesome turret room;
what d'ye suppose would become of _her_ if the fire got beyond control?"

"And not a ladder in sight, either," added Monkey Stallings, dismally,
as he swept his eyes around in a nervous way. "As for a fire company,
there isn't one closer than Danbury, which is all of ten miles away.
Whew! I'm beginning to wish the whole business was over with, boys, and
the troupe jogging along back to the town they came from in all those
big automobiles."

Hugh made no remark just then, but perhaps this suggestion of possible
trouble cause him a little concern. He could be seen looking gravely
toward the immense pile of real and imitation stone as though mentally
figuring what it might be possible to do in a sudden emergency.

As numerous events in the past had proved, Hugh Hardin was always a
great hand for mapping out things beforehand. He believed in the
principle of preparing for war in times of peace, so as not to be
taken unawares.

"A man insures his home," Hugh often said in explanation of this habit,
"when everything seems lovely and safe, not when the fire is raging,
and his property going up in flame and smoke."

The stage manager had determined that there was no need of repeating
the last wild scene where the castle was taken, and a tottering wall
fell unexpectedly in the midst of the furious struggle. Let it stand,
he had determined, accident and all. It appeared to be almost perfect
"copy," and would show up as a faithful portrayal of the stupendous
perils attending the efforts of his company in enacting just one phase
of a romantic drama of the days of chivalry.

"I notice that they are meaning to use two machines and a couple or
camera men, so as to get all the excitement down pat," ventured Alec,
presently, as they stood and watched the hurrying people of the play
in their remarkable attire suggestive of those feudal days of old.

"One is to be kept b