Part 12 (1/2)

”Well, it looks to me,” observed her friend, ”that if we cannot find him, they will be unable to find him as well. So I wouldn't worry, Ruth.”

But the girl went back to the Gem and sailed again to the headquarters of the moving picture company not at all satisfied as to the result of their undertaking.

CHAPTER XI

BILBY AGAIN

The work of picture making that day went without a hitch. Mr. Hooley sent several men into the woods above the spot on the sh.o.r.e of the ”Kingdom of Pipes,” as Helen insisted upon calling the island where the prologue of the picture was made, and they remained on watch there during the activities of the company below.

When the film was developed and run off in the projection room that evening it was p.r.o.nounced by all--even by Mr. Hammond--as good in detail as the spoiled reel.

From that point the work went on briskly, for the weather remained perfect for picture taking. Ruth was busy; but she could give some time to enjoyment, too, especially in the evening; and that next evening when Chess Copley appeared in his own motor-boat, the _Lauriette_, she was glad to join a moonlight boating party which ventured as far as Alexandria Bay, where they had supper and danced at the pavilion, returning to the picture camp in the early hours of the morning.

Ruth was Chessleigh's particular guest on this occasion, and Tom and Helen Cameron went in another launch.

The moonlight upon the islands and the pa.s.sages of silvery water between them was most beautiful. And Ruth enjoyed herself immensely. That is, she found the occasion enjoyable until they got back to the bungalow and had bidden the Copleys and their party good night. Then the girl of the Red Mill found her roommate rather irritable. Helen pouted and was frankly cross when she spoke.

”I don't see what you find so interesting in Chess Copley,” she observed, brus.h.i.+ng her hair before the gla.s.s.

”He is nice I think,” replied Ruth placidly.

”And you just ignore Tommy-boy.”

”I could not very well refuse Chess when he invited me into his launch. I did not know you and Tom were going in the other boat.”

”Well, I wasn't going with Chess. And I wouldn't let Tommy tag after you.”

”I wish you wouldn't be so foolish, Helen,” sighed her chum.

”If you act this way,” declared the rather unreasonable Helen, ”you'll spoil our whole visit at the Thousand Islands.”

”My goodness!” exclaimed Ruth, for once showing exasperation, ”you do not talk very sensibly, Helen. I have come here to work, not to play. Please bear that in mind. If you think I spoil your sport I will not join any other evening parties.”

The next evening when the Copley party came over to get acquainted with some of the moving picture people and arrange for a big dance on Sat.u.r.day night, Ruth was as good as her word, and remained in Mr. Hammond's office, recasting certain scenes in her story that Mr. Hooley proposed to make next day.

Helen was sure Ruth was ”mad” and kept out of the way intentionally. She told Tom so. But she did not choose to relieve Chess Copley's loneliness when she saw him mooning about.

Whenever Chess tried to speak to Helen in private she ran away from him.

Whether it was loyalty to her brother, Tom, or some other reason that made Helen treat Copley so unkindly, the fact remained that Chess was plainly not in Helen's good books, although she made much of the two Copley girls.

The next day Ruth was quite as busy, for the making of the picture was going ahead rapidly while the good weather lasted. This story she had written was more of a pageant than anything she had yet essayed. The scenes were almost all ”on location,” instead of being filmed under a gla.s.s roof.

Helen and Tom did not seem to understand that their friend could not go off fis.h.i.+ng or sailing or otherwise junketing whenever they would like to have her. But picture making and directors, and especially sunlight, will not wait, and so Ruth tried to tell them.

It was Chess Copley, after all, who seemed to have the better appreciation of Ruth's situation just at this time. Before a week had pa.s.sed he was almost always to be found at Ruth's beck and call; for when she could get away from the work of picture making, Chess turned up as faithfully as the proverbial bad penny.