of your voice," said Alice. "If you
don't you may harm it permanently."

"Oh I'll be careful," her father promised. "I'll take along a pad and
pencil, and pretend to be dumb. But I'll speak if it's absolutely
necessary. Now that there is no particular object in holding myself
for the place in 'A Matter of Friendship,' and with the strain of
rehearsal over, I won't be so afraid of talking. Yes, in the morning
I'll start out."

"I wish we could start out," said Alice to Ruth in the latter's room,
later that night. "Why can't we do something to earn money?"

"We may have to--if it comes to that," agreed Ruth. "There are some
bills that must be paid or----"

"Or what, Sister?"

"Never mind, don't you worry. Perhaps it will come out all right,
after all. Father may get a place. He knows many persons in the
theatrical business, and if he can't get behind the footlights he may
get a place in front--in the box office, or something like that."

"Fancy poor father, with all his talents as an actor, taking tickets,
though!"

"Well, it will be a humiliation, of course," agreed Ruth. "But what
can be done? We have to live."

"Oh, if only I were a boy!" cried Alice, with a flash of her brown
eyes. "I'd do something then!"

"What would you do?" asked Ruth.

"I--I'd turn the crank of a moving picture machine if I couldn't get
anything else to do. Look at Russ--he earns good money at the
business."

"Yes, I know. But we can't be boys, Alice."

"No--more's the pity. But I'm going to do something!"

"What, Alice? Nothing rash, I hope," said the older sister, quickly.
"You know father--"

"Oh, don't worry. I won't cause any sensation. But I'm going to do
something. There's no use in two strong, healthy girls sitting
around, and letting poor old daddy, with a voice like a crow's, doing
all the work and worrying."

"No, I agree with you, and if there is anything I could do I'd do
it."

"That's it!" exclaimed Alice, petulantly. "Girls ought to be brought
up able to do something so they could earn their living if they had
to, instead of sitting around doing embroidery or tinkling on the
piano. I wouldn't know even how to clerk in a store if I had to."

"I hope you won't have to, Alice."

"So do I. I shouldn't like it, but there are worse things than that.
I know what I am going to do, though."

"What?"

"I'm going to look through the advertisements in the paper to-morrow,
and start out after the most promising plac