"She is a sister-woman, and will help me in my trouble," thought the poor girl. Between this splendid Miss Gordon and her clever maid, a plan was formed by which the orphan girl (by sailing under false colors) became the honored guest of wealthy people, and afterward the bride of a proud aristocrat, who thought he had married the peerless Miss Gordon, and had never heard of poor little Laurel Vane, who was his worshiped wife. Upon this conspiracy hung all the plot of the play, and the leading parts were taken, first by Clifford Standish, leading man, the part of the hero, St. Leon Le Roy; the part of the heroine, Laurel Vane, by Geraldine Harding; the villain, Ross Powell, by Cameron Clemens; and Miss Gordon by Madeline Mills, the usual star of the company, although she had yielded precedence in this case to Geraldine, who looked so exactly the part of the _ingenue_ heroine, with her starry brown eyes and curly golden hair. But it is not necessary to our story to go into the details of the play. Although it enthralled the attention of the sympathetic audience, it held even greater interest for the party in the Stansbury box, because they knew two of the actors so well. How it thrilled Harry Hawthorne to see pretty Geraldine again, even though he deprecated her stage career so bitterly. As for Cissy, the tears sprang to her eyes when she first saw her lost friend, looking so familiar in the same simple black serge gown she had worn behind the counter when she was only a salesgirl at O'Neill's great store, and which answered excellently well for the mourning gown of the orphan heroine. Indeed, that floating mass of golden locks was glory enough to lend beauty to the shabbiest attire. They watched her with absorbing interest through the changes of the play, but for a long time Geraldine did not perceive them. She was absorbed in her work, and did not cast coquettish glances at the boxes, like the other actresses. It was well she did not, for the sight of them would have unnerved her cruelly. But Clifford Standish was on the alert, and while posing as the magnificent Le Roy, scowled secretly at the occupants of that particular box. When the first act was over, he intercepted Geraldine on her way to the dressing-room, and said: "I have something very particular to tell you. "Yes." "Now call your pride to your aid, dear one, for you will be shocked, I know. But I thought it best to put you on your guard." "Yes," she answered, paling suddenly, but with her small head proudly erect. "Have you noticed the first box to the right?" "No, I have not looked at the house at all. I heard it was crowded," wearily. "It is, and we have made a hit. But--that box--there's a theatre party in it--all people that you know." "Indeed," listlessly, pretending no interest.