Mr. DeVere came in. It needed but a look at his face to show that he
had been unsuccessful, but Ruth could not forbear asking:

"Well, Daddy?"

"No good news," he answered, hoarsely. "I could hardly make myself
understood, and there seem few places where one can labor without
using one's voice. I never appreciated that before."

"But I have found a place!" cried Alice, with girlish enthusiasm. "I
have a place for you Daddy, where you won't have to speak a word."

"Where--where is it?" he whispered, and they both noted his pitiful
eagerness.

"In the movies!" Alice went on. "Oh, it's the nicest place! I've been
there, and the manager----"

"Not another word!" exclaimed Mr. DeVere. "I never would consent to
acting in the moving pictures. I would not so debase my profession--a
profession honored by Shakespeare. I never would consent to it. The
movies! Never!"

There was a knock at the door.

"I'll see who it is," offered Ruth, with a sympathetic glance at
Alice, who seemed distressed. Then, as Ruth saw who it was, she drew
back. "Oh!" she exclaimed, helplessly.

"Who is it?" asked Mr. DeVere, rising.

"I've come for the rent!" exclaimed a rasping voice. "This is about
the tenth time, I guess. Have you got it?" and a burly man thrust
himself into the room from the hall.

"The rent--Oh!" murmured Mr. DeVere, helplessly. "Let me see; have we
the rent ready, Ruth?"

"No," she answered, with a quick glance at the table where she had
been going over the accounts, and where a little pile of bills lay.
"No, we haven't the rent--to-day."

"And I didn't expect you'd have it," sneered the man. "But I've come
to tell you this. It's either pay your rent or----" He paused
significantly and nodded in the direction of the street.

"Three days more--this is the final notice," and thrusting a paper
into the nerveless hand of Mr. DeVere, the collector strode out.

CHAPTER IX

MR. DEVERE DECIDES

Mr. DeVere sank into a chair. Ruth looked distressed as her father
glanced over the dispossess notice, for such it was. But on the face
of Alice there was a triumphant smile. For she saw that this was the
very thing needed to arouse her father to action. Despite the
distastefulness of the work, she felt sure he would come finally to
like acting before the camera.

The collector's call had been very opportune, though it was
embarrassing.

"This--this," said Mr. DeVere, haltingly--"this is very--er--very
unfortunate.