think.

"As it happened, I am now working on a play that calls for a big fire
scene. I was worried about it, because they send so many of my
scenarios back with the comment that they are too difficult to produce.
It's a dandy plot, and I hated to give it up just because it would
require a burning building. They would hardly buy a building and burn
it down just to please me, you know.

"But when they hear of a fire they get right to it, if they can, and
take rescue scenes, and so forth, then have their contract writers work
up a scenario in which the scenes can be used. But that's hack work.
Mine is different, you see. My scenario called for a fire, and
couldn't be produced without it. Quite different from having a fire
call for a scenario.

"Well, now you know. I couldn't explain then, you see. There wasn't
time, and, besides, I was too excited. I doubted if you would have
understood, either--you just from the country.

"Now don't think I'm making fun of you. But it's the truth, isn't it?
And it was certainly great of you to go the way you did, not having the
least idea of what you were up against."

"It wasn't much," Hiram said in his unassuming way.

"Yes, it was," the girl said with a lack of the enthusiasm which had
marked her former grateful utterances. Her eyes were far away, and it
was apparent that another matter held precedence in her mind. "You
just got into Frisco last night, your partner said."

"Yes, ma'am."

"I could see that when you came in the restaurant. Your new suit looks
fairly nice." She scanned him frankly.

Hiram squirmed. "Tweet said I looked whittled out in it," he said
truthfully.

"You don't any such thing! You don't mind my being so personal, do
you? I've taken quite an interest in you since Mr. Tweet talked about
you--especially as you are from Mendocino. You looked so forlorn and
scared last night when you came in the restaurant. I could see that
you didn't know what to order or how to order it, and that you were
half starved. I remembered my first day in the city. Honestly, I was
scared blue! But tell me--what part of the country are you from?"

"I'm from Bear Valley," Hiram told her.

"Bear Valley! Why, our old place is just on the other side of the
range. I've been in Bear Valley lots of times. Our place is in Temple
Valley."

"I know Temple Valley," Hiram put in quickly.

"Of course you do! Why did you come down here?"

"I was gettin' tired