Aunt Jane's Nieces out West

  CHAPTER VIII

  THE MAGIC OF A NAME

  The newcomer proved to be Goldstein, the manager of the Continental.His face was frowning and severe as he rudely marched up to the groupand, without the formality of a greeting, pointedly addressed theStanton girls.

  "What does it mean?" he demanded in evident excitement, for his voiceshook and the accusing finger he held out trembled. "How does it happenthat my people, under contract to work for the Continental, are workingfor other firms?"

  Maud paled and her eyes glistened with resentment as she rose and facedher manager. Florence pulled her sister's sleeve and said with a forcedlaugh: "Sit down, Maud; the man has probably been drinking."

  He turned on the young girl fiercely, but now it was Arthur Weldon whoseized the manager's arm and whirled him around.

  "Sir, you are intruding," he said sternly. "If you have business withthese ladies, choose the proper time and place to address them."

  "I have!" cried Goldstein, blusteringly. "They have treated meshamefully--unprofessionally! They have played me a trick, and I've theright to demand why they are working for a rival firm while in my pay."

  Mrs. Montrose now arose and said with quiet dignity:

  "Mr. Goldstein, you are intruding, as Mr. Weldon says. But you have saidso much to defame my nieces in the eyes of our friends, here assembled,that you must explain yourself more fully."

  The manager seemed astonished by his reception. He looked from one toanother and said more mildly:

  "It is easy enough for _me_ to explain, but how can the Stantons explaintheir conduct? They are under contract to act exclusively for theContinental Film Company and I pay them a liberal salary. Yet onlyyesterday, when I was kind enough to give them a holiday, they went downto the beach and posed for a picture for our rivals, the CoronaCompany!"

  "You are mistaken, sir!" retorted Arthur. "The young ladies were in ourcompany the entire afternoon and they did not pose for any picturewhatever."

  "Don't tell me!" cried Goldstein. "I've just seen the picture down town.I was going by one of the theatres when I noticed a placard that read:'Sensational Film by Maud Stanton, the Queen of Motion Picture Actresses,entitled "A Gallant Rescue!" First run to-night.' I went in and saw thepicture--with my own eyes!--and I saw Maud Stanton in a sea scene,rescuing a man who was drowning. Don't deny it, Miss," he added, turningupon Maud fiercely. "I saw it with my own eyes--not an hour ago!"

  After a moment's amazed silence his hearers broke into a chorus oflaughter, led by Flo, who was almost hysterical. Even A. Jones smiledindulgently upon the irate manager, who was now fairly bristling withindignation.

  "The Corona people," remarked Arthur Weldon, "are quite enterprising. Idid not know they had a camera-man at the beach yesterday, but he musthave secured a very interesting picture. It was not posed, Mr. Goldstein,but taken from life."

  "It was Maud Stanton!" asserted, the manager.

  "Yes; she and some others. A man was really drowning and the brave girlswam to his rescue, without a thought of posing."

  "I don't believe it!" cried the man rudely.

  Here A. Jones struggled to his feet.

  "It is true," he said. "I was the drowning man whom Miss Stanton saved."

  Goldstein eyed him shrewdly.

  "Perhaps you were," he admitted, "for the man in the picture was aboutyour style of make-up. But how can you prove it was not a put-up job withthe Corona people? How do I know you are not all in the employ of theCorona people?"

  "I give you my word."

  "Pah! I don't know you."

  "I see you don't," returned the youth stiffly.

  "Here is my card. Perhaps you will recognize the name."

  He fumbled in his pocket, took out a card and handed it to the manager.Goldstein looked at it, started, turned red and then white and beganbobbing his head with absurd deference to the youth.

  "Pardon, Mr. Jones--pardon!" he gasped. "I--I heard you were in ourneighborhood, but I--I did not recognize you. I--I hope you will pardonme, Mr. Jones! I was angry at what I supposed was the treachery of anemployee. You will--will--understand that, I am sure. It is my duty toprotect the interests of the Continental, you know, sir. But it's allright now, of course! Isn't it all right now, Mr. Jones?"

  "You'd better go, Goldstein," said the boy in a weary tone, and satdown again.

  The manager hesitated. Then he bowed to Maud Stanton and to the others,murmuring:

  "All a mistake, you see; all a mistake. I--I beg everybody's pardon."

  With this he backed away, still bowing, and finally turned and beat ahasty retreat. But no one was noticing him especially. All eyes wereregarding the boy with a new curiosity.

  "That Goldstein is an ill-bred boor!" remarked Uncle John in anannoyed tone.

  "I suppose," said Maud, slowly, "he thought he was right in demanding anexplanation. There is great rivalry between the various filmmanufacturers and it was rather mean of the Corona to put my name onthat placard."

  "It's wonderful!" exclaimed Patsy. "How did they get the picture, doyou suppose?"

  "They have camera-men everywhere, looking for some picture worth while."explained Mrs. Montrose. "If there's a fire, the chances are a camera-manis on the spot before the firemen arrive. If there's an accident, it isoften caught by the camera before the victim realizes what has happened.Perhaps a camera-man has been at the beach for weeks, waiting patientlyfor some tragedy to occur. Anyway, he was on hand yesterday and quietlyran his film during the excitement of the rescue. He was in rare luck toget Maud, because she is a favorite with the public; but it was not fairto connect her name with the picture, when they know she is employed bythe Continental."

  Young Jones rose from his chair with a gesture of weariness.

  "If you will excuse me," he said, "I will go to my room. Our littleconversation has given me much pleasure; I'm so alone in the world.Perhaps you will allow me to join you again--some other time?"

  They hastened to assure him his presence would always be welcome. Patsyeven added, with her cheery smile, that they felt a certainproprietorship in him since they had dragged him from a watery grave. Theboy showed, as he walked away, that he was not yet very steady on hisfeet, but whether the weakness was the result of his malady or his recenttrying experience they could not determine.

  "What staggers me," said Maud, looking after him, "is the effect his namehad on Goldstein, who has little respect or consideration for anyone. Whodo you suppose A. Jones is?"

  "Why, he has told us," replied Louise. "He is an islander, on his firstvisit to this country."

  "He must be rather more than that," declared Arthur. "Do you rememberwhat the manager said to him?"

  "Yes," said Beth. "He had heard that A. Jones was in this neighborhood,but had never met him. A. Jones was a person of sufficient importanceto make the general manager of the Continental Film Company tremble inhis boots."

  "He really did tremble," asserted Patsy, "and he was abject in hisapologies."

  "Showing," added Flo Stanton, "that Goldstein is afraid of him."

  "I wonder why," said Maud.

  "It is all very easy of solution," remarked Arthur. "Goldstein believesthat Jones is in the market to buy films. Perhaps he's going to open amotion picture theatre on his island. So the manager didn't want toantagonize a good customer."

  "That's it," said Uncle John, nodding approval. "There's no great mysteryabout young Jones, I'm sure."