"No. She wasn't aware of me. There was a Miss Morton, too, Miss Althea Morton, who seemed to be a great friend of Mr. Paxton's." "Beautiful?" "No, only pretty." "Why didn't you talk to Jerry afterward?" "I came home." "Didn't Jerry look after you?" "There was no need for him to look after me. He was busy. I just came home." She began the preparations for breakfast. "But Jane, did you get through your part all right?" "Oh, yes." "Did they like you?" "I suppose so; they clapped." "Jane, you clam, I'll wait for Jerry's version." "Um-m." When Jane brought in the tray with breakfast, Bobs looked at her closely. "Jane, how can you let yourself be so plain, when you know now that you're good looking?" "It's better for me to be plain," she answered simply. "Better? Why?" "I like to be inconspicuous." "Daughters of Eve! Jane, you're not human." Jane made no answer. She went about her work, as usual, and Bobs's various efforts to draw her out were vain. In the afternoon Jerry arrived. "Hello, Jerry," Bobs called. "Sorry I'm not up to piping. 'Lo, the conquering hero comes.'" "How's your health?" "Hang my health! How was your show? I can't get a word out of Jane Judd." "Is she here?" "Yes." "She was the big hit of the thing. Miss Jane Judd," he shouted. She appeared at the door. "Good-afternoon, Mr. Paxton. I have the costume in a box and I'll leave it at your studio." "Why did you run away?" "I had nothing more to do, so I went home." "That line might be used as Jane's epitaph," laughed Bobs. "But everybody wanted to meet you. I rushed about looking for you, until old Christiansen told me you had gone home." "Martin Christiansen?" inquired Bobs. "Yes. Mrs. Brendon said he laid the praise on thick. Not often you get him to say a decent thing. He raved about Jane Judd." "You _were_ flying high, Jane," Bobs commented. "I can never thank you enough. It was bully of you to do it, and you gave a great performance. Would you mind telling me where you studied acting?" "I haven't studied it. I'm glad I didn't mix things up for you," she replied, and went back to her work. "I can't get her," Jerry remarked. "She was really immense, Bobs. Got more applause than any of them. Do you suppose she is an actress? Who the deuce is Jane?" "I don't know and I can't find out. She is baffling. She will not talk about herself. I think she despises us all, rather. Think of knowing you were a beauty, and going back to looking as she does to-day. She says it's better for her to be plain." "I don't know how her looks ever got by me. Old Christiansen sweetly suggested that it was because she was not the obvious type. He asked all about her." "How exciting! Tell me about the whole thing, Jerry, from the very first."