His　old　mother　had　risen；　had　seemed　about　to　embrace　him　fondly　when　he　knelt　at　her　feet；　but　then　had　drawn　herself　sternly　up　and　pointed　commandingly　to　the　door。　The　prodigal；　anguished　anew　at　this　repulse；　fell　weakly　back　upon　the　couch　with　a　cry　of　despair。　The　little　sister　placed　a　pillow　under　his　head　and　ran　to　plead　with　the　mother。　A　long　time　she　remained　obdurate；　but　at　last　relented。　Then　she；　too；　came　to　fall　upon　her　knees　before　the　wreck　who　had　returned　to　her。
  Not　many　rehearsals　were　required　for　this　scene；　difficult　though　it　was。　Merton　Gill　had　seized　his　opportunity。　His　study　of　agony　expressions　in　the　film　course　was　here　rewarded。　The　scene　closed　with　the　departure　of　the　little　sister。　Resolutely；　showing　the　light　of　some　fierce　determination；　she　put　on　hat　and　wraps；　spoke　words　of　promise　to　the　stricken　mother　and　son；　and　darted　out　into　the　night。　The　snow　whirled　in　as　she　opened　the　door。
  〃Good　work；〃　said　Baird　to　Merton。　〃If　you　don't　hear　from　that　little　bit　you　can　call　me　a　Swede。〃
  Some　later　scenes　were　shot　in　the　same　little　home；　which　seemed　to　bring　the　drama　to　a　close。　While　the　returned　prodigal　lay　on　the　couch；　nursed　by　the　forgiving　mother；　the　sister　returned　in　company　with　the　New　York　society　girl　who　seemed　aghast　at　the　wreck　of　him　she　had　once　wooed。　Slowly　she　approached　the　couch　of　the　sufferer；　tenderly　she　reached　down　to　enfold　him。　In　some　manner；　which　Merton　could　not　divine；　the　lovers　had　been　reunited。
  The　New　York　girl　was　followed　by　her　fatherit　would　seem　they　had　both　come　from　the　hoteland　the　father；　after　giving　an　order　for　more　of　Mother's　grape　juice；　examined　the　son's　patents。　Two　of　them　he　exclaimed　with　delight　over；　and　at　once　paid　the　boy　a　huge　roll　of　bills　for　a　tenth　interest　in　them。
  Now　came　the　grasping　man　who　held　the　mortgage　and　who　had　counted　upon　driving　the　family　into　the　streets　this　stormy　Christmas　eve。　He　was　overwhelmed　with　confusion　when　his　money　was　paid　from　an　ample　hoard；　and　slunk；　shame…faced；　out　into　the　night。　It　could　be　seen　that　Christmas　day　would　dawn　bright　and　happy　for　the　little　group。
  To　Merton's　eye　there　was　but　one　discord　in　this　finale。　He　had　known　that　the　cross…eyed　man　was　playing　the　part　of　hotel　clerk　at　the　neighbouring　resort；　but　he　had　watched　few　scenes　in　which　the　poor　fellow　acted；　and　he　surely　had　not　known　that　this　man　was　the　little　sister's　future　husband。　It　was　with　real　dismay　that　he　averted　his　gaze　from　the　embrace　that　occurred　between　these　two；　as　the　clerk　entered　the　now　happy　home。
  One　other　detail　had　puzzled　him。　This　was　the　bundle　to　which　he　had　clung　as　he　blindly　plunged　through　the　storm。　He　had　still　fiercely　clutched　it　after　entering　the　little　room；　clasping　it　to　his　breast　even　as　he　sank　at　his　mother's　feet　in　physical　exhaustion　and　mental　anguish；　to　implore　her　forgiveness。　Later　the　bundle　was　placed　beside　him　as　he　lay；　pale　and　wan；　on　the　couch。
  He　supposed　this　bundle　to　contain　one　of　his　patents；　a　question　to　Baird　when　the　scene　was　over　proved　him　to　be　correct。　〃Sure；〃　said　Baird；　〃that's　one　of　your　patents。〃　Yet　he　still　wished　the　little　sister　had　not　been　made　to　marry　the　cross…eyed　hotel　clerk。
  And　another　detail　lingered　in　his　memory　to　bother　him。　The　actress　playing　his　mother　was　wont　to　smoke　cigarettes　when　not　engaged　in　acting。　He　had　long　known　it。　But　he　now　seemed　to　recall；　in　that　touching　last　scene　of　reconciliation；　that　she　had　smoked　one　while　the　camera　actually　turned。　He　hoped　this　was　not　so。　It　would　mean　a　mistake。　And　Baird　would　be　justly　annoyed　by　the　old　mother's　carelessness。
  CHAPTER　XVI
  OF　SARAH　NEVADA　MONTAGUE
  They　were　six　long　weeks　doing　the　new　piece。　The　weeks　seemed　long　to　Merton　Gill　because　there　were　so　many　hours；　even　days；　of　enforced　idleness。　To　pass　an　entire　day；　his　face　stiff　with　the　make…up；　without　once　confronting　a　camera　in　action；　seemed　to　him　a　waste　of　his　own　time　and　a　waste　of　Baird's　money。　Yet　this　appeared　to　be　one　of　the　unavoidable　penalties　incurred　by　those　who　engaged　in　the　art　of　photodrama。　Time　was　needed　to　create　that　world　of　painted　shadows；　so　swift；　so　nicely　consecutive　when　revealed；　but　so　incoherent；　so　brokenly　inconsequent；　so　meaningless　in　the　recording。
  How　little　an　audience　could　suspect　the　vexatious　delays　ensuing　between；　say；　a　knock　at　a　door　and　the　admission　of　a　visitor　to　a　neat　little　home　where　a　fond　old　mother　was　trying　to　pay　off　a　mortgage　with　the　help　of　her　little　ones。　How　could　an　audience　divine　that　a　wait　of　two　hours　had　been　caused　because　a　polished　city　villain　had　forgotten　his　spats？　Or　that　other　long　waits　had　been　caused　by　other　forgotten　trifles；　while　an　expensive　company　of　artists　lounged　about　in　bored　apathy；　or　smoked；　gossiped；　bantered？
  Yet　no　one　ever　seemed　to　express　concern　about　these　waits。　Rarely　were　their　causes　known；　except　by　some　frenzied　assistant　director；　and　he；　after　a　little；　would　cease　to　be　frenzied　and　fall　to　loafing　calmly　with　the　others。　Merton　Gill's　education　in　his　chosen　art　was　progressing。　He　came　to　loaf　with　the　unconcern；　the　vacuous　boredom；　the　practised　nonchalance；　of　more　seasoned　artists。
  Sometimes　when　exteriors　were　being　taken　the　sky　would　overcloud　and　the　sun　be　denied　them　for　a　whole　day。　The　Montague　girl　would　then　ask　Merton　how　he　liked　Sunny　Cafeteria。　He　knew　this　was　a　jesting　term　that　would　stand　for　sunny　California；　and　never　failed　to　laugh。
  The　girl　kept　rather　closely　by　him　during　these　periods　of　waiting。　She　seemed　to　show　little　interest　in　other　members　of　the　company；　and　her　association　with　them；　Merton　noted；　was　marked　by　a　certain　restraint。　With　them　she　seemed　no　longer　to　be　the　girl　of　free　ways　and　speech。　She　might　occasionally　join　a　group　of　the　men　who　indulged　in　athletic　sports　on　the　grass　before　the　little　farmhousefor　the　actors　of　Mr。　Baird's　company　would　all　betray　acrobatic　tendencies　in　their　idle　momentsand　he　watched　one　day　while　the　simple　little　country　sister　turned　a　series　of　hand…　springs　and　cart…wheels　that　evoked　sincere　applause　from　the　four　New　York　villains　who　had　been　thus　solacing　their　ennui。
  But　oftener　she　would　sit　with　Merton　on　the　back　seat　of　one　of　the　waiting　automobiles。　She　not　only　kept　herself　rather　aloof　from　other　members　of　the　company；　but　she　curiously　seemed　to　bring　it　about　that　Merton　himself　would　have　little　contact　with　them。　Especially　did　she　seem　to　hover　between　him　and　the　company's　feminine　members。　Among　those　impersonating　guests　at　the　hotel　were　several　young　women　of　rare　beauty　with　whom　he　would　have　been　not　unwilling　to　fraternize　in　that　easy　comradeship　which　seemed　to　mark　studio　life。　These　were　far　more　alluring　than　the　New　York　society　girl　who　wooed　him　and　who　had　secured　the　part　solely　through　Baird's　sympathy　for　her　family　misfortunes。
  They　were　richly　arrayed　and　charmingly　mannered　in　the　scenes　he　watched；　moreover；　they　not　too　subtly　betrayed　a　pleasant　consciousness　of　Merton's　existence。　But　the　Montague　girl　noticeably　monopolized　him　when　a　better　acquaintance　with　the　beauties　might　have　come　about。　She　rather　brazenly　seemed　to　be　guarding　him。　She　was　always　there。
  This　very　apparent　solicitude　of　hers　left　him　feeling　pleasantly　important；　despite　the　social　contacts　it　doubtless　deprived　him　of。　He　wondered　if　the　Montague　girl　could　be　jealous；　and　cautiously　one　day；　as　they　lolled　in　the　motor　car；　he　sounded　her。
  〃Those　girls　in　the　hotel　scenesI　suppose　they're　all　nice　girls　of　good　family？〃　he　casually　observed。
  〃Huh？〃　demanded　Miss　Montague；　engaged　with　a　pencil　at　the　moment　in　editing　her　left　eyebrow。　〃Oh；　that　bunch？　Sure；　they　all　come　from　good　old　Southern　familiesVirginia　and　Indiana　and　those　places。〃　She　tightened　her　lips　before　the　little　mirror　she　held　and　renewed　their　scarlet。　Then　she　spoke　more　seriously。　〃Sure；　Kid；　those　girls　are　all　right　enough。　They　work　like　dogs　and　do　the　best　they　can　when　they　ain't　got　jobs。　I'm　strong　for　'em。　But　then；　I'm　a　wise　old　trouper。　I　understand　things。　You　don't。　You're　the　real　country　wild　rose　of　this　piece。　It's　a　good　thing　you　got　me　to　ride　herd　on　you。　You're　far　too　innocent　to　be　turned　loose　on　a　comedy　lot。
  〃Listen；　boy〃　She　turned　a　sober　face　to　him〃the　straight　lots　are　fairly　decent；　but　get　this：　a　comedy　lot　is　the　toughest　place　this　side　of　the　bad　one。　Any　comedy　lot。〃
  〃But　this　isn't　a　comedy　lot。　Mr。　Baird　isn't　doing　comedies　any　more；　and　these　people　all　seem　to　be　nice　people。　Of　course　some　of　the　ladies　smoke　cigarettes〃
  The　girl　had　averted　her　face　briefly；　but　now　turned　to　him　again。　〃Of　course　that's　so；　Jeff　is　trying　for　the　better　things；　but　he's　still　using　lots　of　his　old　people。　They're　all　right　for　me；　but　not　for　you。　You　wouldn't　last　long　if　mother　here　didn't　look　out　for　you。　I'm　playing　your　dear　little　sister；　but　I'm　playing　your　mother；　too。　If　it　hadn't　been　for　me　this　bunch　would　have　taught　you　a　lot　of　things　you'd　better　learn　some　other　way。　Just　for　one　thing；　long　before　this　you'd　probably　bee