ore engagements."

"Oh, give me the screed," returned the actor, petulantly. "I'll do
it!"

Preparations for the rural play went on apace. The barn-burning scene
was only one of many, though it was the climax. Rehearsals began and
Russ and Mr. Pertell decided on the barn incidents and the place
where the roof was to be cut.

A carpenter had been engaged to do this properly, so that it would
not show in the moving picture that the roof had been fixed in
advance.

In order to have the big play a success Mr. Pertell allowed the
players to rehearse leisurely and at considerable length. There was
plenty of rest for all. On one afternoon Paul and Russ, when there
was nothing to do, paid another visit to the cabin in the woods, to
see if there were any signs of the mysterious man. But he was not
there, nor was there any evidence that he had returned to the place.
Nor had he been seen about the farm since. He and his dog, if it was
his, seemed to have disappeared.

The summer was now passing, and the character of work on the farm
changed with the advancing season. Threshing time came, and several
good films were obtained of the men at work at the big machine which
went from farm to farm to thresh the grain.

Mr. Pertell built a little play about the work, the principal scene
in one being where the threshers were at work, and afterward they
were shown at dinner in the open air. And such appetites as those men
had! A number of Mrs. Apgar's neighbors came over to help her cook,
as is usually the case when the threshers come, so altogether some
good films were obtained of this phase of rural life.

Getting in the hay was another occasion for making some interesting
pictures, and Alice, as she had longed to do, was allowed to ride in
on one of the big loads. Afterward, when it was put into the barns
she jumped into the soft and fragrant pile of the mow, and was filmed
that way, the scene to be used in one of the many rural dramas.

In fact, all sorts of scenes about the farm were caught on the
films, to be used later as plays should develop. The farm animals,
too, made up some of the pictures, and the mule which ran away with
Mr. Bunn was used for some comic pictures. Mr. Pertell, however, did
not ask anyone to ride him, as he wanted no accidents. In fact, it is
doubtful if he could have gotten any of his company to try this, even
through fear of discharge.

"We'll have a rehearsal of the barn-burning scene to-day," anno