ratic
young hero and beautiful maiden pursued by an officer of the black
rebels. And," she almost wailed, "here I am with the clothes spread all
over my bed--the right costumes, you know--with no one to wear them. I
went over to the Corners this morning and called Johnson--he runs a
registration office for models--but he couldn't promise me anyone." She
bit absent-mindedly into a round spiced roll Ricky had placed before
her.

"Wait!" She laid down the roll in a preoccupied fashion and stared
across the table. "Val, stand up."

Wondering, he pushed back his chair and arose obediently.

"Turn your head a little more to the right," Charity ordered. "There,
that's it! Now try to look as if there were something all ready to
spring at you from that corner over there."

For one angry moment he thought that she had been told of what had
happened the night before and was baiting him, as the others had done.
But a sidewise glance showed him that her interest lay elsewhere. So he
screwed up his features into what he fondly hoped was a grim and deadly
smile.

"For goodness sake, don't look as if you had eaten green apples," Ricky
shot at him. "Just put on that face you wear when I show you a new hat.
No, not that sneering one; the other."

Rupert threw back his head and laughed heartily. "Better let him alone,
Ricky. After all, it's _his_ face."

"I'm glad that someone has pointed out that fact," Val said stiffly,
"because--"

"Oh, be quiet!" Charity leaned forward across the table. "Yes," she
nodded, "you'll do."

"For what?" Val asked, slightly apprehensive.

"For my hero. Of course your hair is too short and you are rather too
youthful, but I can disguise those points. And," she turned upon Ricky,
"you can be the lady in distress. Which gives me another idea. Do you
suppose that I might use your terrace for a background and have that big
chair, the one with the high back?" she asked Rupert.

"You may have anything you want within these walls," he answered lightly
enough, but it was clear that he really meant it.

"What am I supposed to do?" Val asked.

Charity considered. "I think I'll try the action one first," she said
half to herself. "That's going to be the most difficult. Ricky, will you
send one of Lucy's children over with me to help carry back the costumes
and my material--" She was already at the door.

"Val and I will go instead," Ricky replied.

Some twenty minutes later Val was handed a suitcase