"Oh, is it as dangerous as that?" exclaimed Alice, looking at Paul intently.
"Don"t worry," and he smiled. "I guess the apparatus has been tested before. I"m getting used to risks in this business."
"What time to-morrow is it?" queried Ruth.
"Right after lunch," Russ responded. "I"ve got to film him."
"Then I"m coming to see you!" declared Alice. "I"m off directly after lunch. I haven"t much on for to-morrow."
"Oh, Alice! You wouldn"t go!" cried her sister.
"Of course I would, my dear!"
"But suppose something--happened?" Ruth went on in a low voice, as Russ and Paul started out together.
"All the more reason why I should be there!" declared Alice, promptly, and Ruth looked at her with a new light of understanding in her eyes.
And then she looked at Paul, who waved his hand gaily at the younger girl.
"Dear little sister," murmured Ruth. "I wonder----?"
"I"ll look for you there," called Paul, as he went on down the hall.
"And I"ll be there," promised Alice.
"Do you feel better now, Daddy?" asked Ruth, in their rooms.
"Much better--yes, my dear. That new spray the doctor gave me seems to work wonders. And my throat is really better since our trip South. I feel quite encouraged."
It was after supper in the DeVere apartment. The two girls were seated at the sitting-room table with their father, who was looking over a new play in which he had a part. Alice was reading a newspaper and Ruth mending a pair of stockings.
"Well, there"s one good thing about going out West," finally remarked the younger girl, as she tossed aside the paper, and caught up a hairpin which her vigorous motion had caused to slip out of her brown tresses.
"What"s that--you won"t have to fuss so about dress?" asked Ruth, for her sister did not share her ideas on this subject.
"No, but if we do go there won"t be any trouble about that International company trying to steal Mr. Pertell"s secrets."
"I don"t know about that," observed Mr. DeVere, slowly. "If they are after his big drama they may even follow us out West."
"Oh, I hope not!" exclaimed Ruth, pausing with extended needle. "I don"t like trouble."
"There may be no trouble," her father a.s.sured her, with a smile. "In fact, now that the spy is detected, the whole affair may be closed. I hope so, for Mr. Pertell works hard to get up new ideas, and to have some other concern step in, and rob him of the fruits of his labor, would be unjust indeed."
Rehearsals and the filming of plays in the Comet studio were over the next morning about eleven o"clock.
"Come on," said Paul to Ruth and Alice. "I"m to get a bonus on account of the fire escape stunt, and I"ll take you girls out to lunch. Come along, Russ. It"s extra money and we might as well enjoy it."
"You are too extravagant!" chided Ruth.
"Oh, I like to be--when I have the chance," Paul laughed. "It isn"t often I do."
"Well, then, we may as well help you out," agreed Russ. "Right after lunch we"ll give you a chance to show us what you can do on that patent rope."
The little meal was a merry one, in spite of the fact that the two girls were a little nervous about going to see Paul descend from the tenth story of a building on a slender rope. Ruth had finally consented to accompany her sister.
Together they went to the place where the test was to take place. It was a tall office structure, and, as word of what was afoot had spread, quite a throng had gathered.
Mr. Pertell had made arrangements with the authorities to have Paul work in a little theatrical business in connection with the test, and the inventor of the fire escape was also to be in the moving pictures.
There was a little preliminary scene, as part of the projected play, and then Paul went into the building with the inventor to prepare for his thrilling descent.
The apparatus seemed simple. It was a round, metallic case, inside of which was coiled a stout rope. At the end was a broad leather strap, intended to be fastened about the person who was to make the jump. The case, and the coil of rope, were to be fastened to a hook at the side of the window. Then Paul was to jump out, and trust to the slow uncoiling of the rope to lower him safely.
"Are you all ready?" asked the inventor, after he had explained the apparatus.
"As ready as I ever shall be," answered Paul a little nervously. He looked down to the ground. It seemed a long way off.
CHAPTER IV
A CLOUD OF SMOKE
Below, in the crowd that had gathered to watch the test, were Ruth and Alice. Russ, of course, was there with his moving picture camera, and Paul saw the little lens-tube aimed in his direction, like the muzzle of some new weapon.
"Now, don"t get nervous," directed the inventor, after he had explained the mechanism to Paul, and also to the city officials who had gathered to pa.s.s upon its merits.
"You can"t make me nervous," declared the young actor. "I"ve gone through too much in this moving picture business, though I will admit I never jumped from such a height before."
"Don"t look down," the inventor warned him. "You won"t get dizzy then.
And don"t think of the height. With this apparatus it is impossible to get hurt. You will go down like a feather."
"That"s comforting to know," laughed Paul. "Well, I may as well start, I guess."
The belt was adjusted about him, and as it was done in the open window Russ was able to get views of it, and of all that went on. Then Paul got out on the sill. There he paused a moment.
"I--I can"t bear to look at him!" murmured Ruth.
"Don"t be silly," exclaimed Alice.
"But suppose--suppose something happens?"
"Don"t be a Mr. Sneed!" retorted her sister, with a laugh. "I don"t believe anything will happen, and if--if he should fall--see!" and she pointed to where a detachment of city firemen stood ready with their life net.
"Oh, I didn"t notice them before," confessed Ruth. "That makes it safer."
"All ready down there, Russ?" shouted Paul, through a megaphone. "Shall I go?"