No stage bashfulness in the hanging head, the limp arms, and the funny hop skip of the feet. “Oh, you couldn’t give me five dollars.” “Oh, yes I can.” “You sure you’re not fooling?” “No, you come around some time, and you’ll see, I’ll put you in a scene. What’s your name?” “Mae Marsh.” “I’ll remember, and I’ll put you in a movie some day.” Right about now Dell Henderson was directing a picture in which Fred Mace was playing the lead and Margaret Loveridge had a part. It was understood about the studio that Mr. Mace was quite taken with the charms of the fair Margaret. Now Margaret couldn’t get out on location, and she wanted to send a message to Fred Mace, so she sent little sister, and little sister looked so terrible to Mr. Mace that he said to her, “Don’t let Griffith see you or your sister will lose her job.” When Mace saw Margaret again he said, “Don’t have your sister come around the studio looking like that.” And Margaret answered, “Well, I will, for Mr. Griffith is going to use some children at San Gabriel and she is going to be one of the children.” “All right,” answered Mace, “take your chance.” And at San Gabriel Mae did a little more of the funny hop skip, and she talked up rather pert to the director, “You think you’re the King” sort of thing, and he liked it, and he said to Dell, “The kid can act, she’s great, don’t you think so?” Dell answered “yes,” but he didn’t think so. No one thought so but Mr. Griffith. A few weeks later when little Mae Marsh came to the studio carrying a book and the boys made jokes about it, Dell said to himself, “When she puts that down, I’m a-going to see.” The book was Tennyson’s poems. The boys knew when a new actress came with such literature that Mr. Griffith was already seeing her bringing home the cows, or portraying some other old-fashioned heroine of the old-fashioned poets. * * * * * As intended, our stay in California this second year was much longer than the first. The three months lengthened to five, and it was May when the company returned East. It did seem a pity to close up the new studio, for it was the last word in organization. Why, we’d even a separate department for finances. The money end of things had grown to such proportions that David could no longer handle it as he had the first year. And Mr. Dougherty was along too, in charge of the front office. * * * * * With Mabel Normand and Blanche Sweet well started on their careers, the second winter’s work in California ended. Another milestone had been passed, the birth of the two-reeler, which having been tried was not found wanting. What otherwise came out of the winter’s work as most important was Biograph’s acquisition of the little hop-skip girl, Mae Marsh. She played no parts this season, made very few appearances even as an insignificant extra girl, and when the company returned to New York they left little Mae behind them. CHAPTER XXV