"Oh, you'll get so you won't mind that a bit!" went on Mrs. Maguire. "Sure, I used to eat my heart over it in my younger days, but now I only laugh. It's part of the business. It's a tribute to your acting, my dear, and you ought to take it as such. Don't mind it." "Oh, but it was so--so uncalled--for!" murmured Ruth. "I think I must--" "Hush! Here comes daddy!" interrupted Alice. "Don't let him know about it." "That's wise," commented Mrs. Maguire. "Though probably he's seen enough of it in his time. But perhaps he wouldn't like to know that it bothered you. Best say nothing to him, my dears. It will wear away soon enough." "No, we won't say anything," agreed Alice, slipping her arm through her sister's. "Papa has enough trouble as it is." A little later, as the girls were walking along with Mr. DeVere, he asked them: "Well, how did you like your parts in the movies?" "Fine. It was so interesting, Dad!" exclaimed Ruth. "I'd like to do some more!" echoed Alice, with a meaning look at her sister. "Well, I must see what sort of parts Mr. Pertell will cast you for," said Mr. DeVere. "But I am glad you like the work. It may be a great deal better for all of us to be in this than if I was alone in a regular theater. We can always be together now, and certainly my voice doesn't seem to be improving very fast." This was only too true. Several visits to the physician, and a heroic course of treatment, had resulted in only a slight improvement. The pain in the vocal chords had been lessened, but the huskiness remained, so that it would have been practically impossible for Mr. DeVere to speak his lines in a regular theater. So the moving pictures were suited to him. The DeVere family was now in much better circumstances than when we first made their acquaintance. They had been gradually paying the back bills, the landlord had been appeased, so that there was no danger of dispossession, and there was much happiness in the little flat. "We could even afford a better one, if you girls would like to move," said Mr. DeVere one day. "Oh, no, let's stay," suggested Ruth. "We can save a little money by remaining here, and paying less rent." "Besides, we have such nice neighbors!" observed Alice, with a glance at the Dalwood apartments across the hall, at the same time giving Ruth a sly nudge. "Stop it!" commanded Ruth. "What do you mean, Alice?" "Just what I said--we have _such_ nice neighbors across the way," and she gave a little pinch to her sister's blushing cheek. "Yes, the Dalwoods are very good friends," remarked Mr. DeVere, all unconscious of this little by-play between his daughters. "And Russ is certainly a fine young man." "Indeed he is; isn't he, Ruth?" asked Alice tantalizingly. "Oh, yes, I suppose so," was the blushing answer. "But how should I know--any more than you do about Paul Ardite?" and she glanced shrewdly at Alice.