CHAPTER X

ONE NEW YORK DAY

That “happy ending” became a matter of much thought on Ruth’s part, and the cause of not a little argument between her and Mr. Hammond when he came up to Cheslow and the Red Mill to discuss “Brighteyes” with its youthful author.  He had come, too, to get a glimpse of Wonota in the flesh.

One of the first things Ruth had done when the Indian girl came under her care was to take Wonota to Cheslow and have the best photographer of the town take several “stills” of the Indian girl.  Copies of these she had sent to the Alectrion Film Corporation, and word had come back from both Mr. Hammond and his chief director that the photographs of Wonota were satisfactory.

The president of the film company, however, was interested in talking with Wonota and judging as far as possible through cursory examination just how much there was to the girl.

“What has she got in her?  That is what we want to know,” he said to Ruth.  “Can she get expression into her face?  Can she put over feeling?  We want something besides mere looks, Miss Ruth, as you very well know.”

“I realize all that,” the girl of the Red Mill told him earnestly.  “But remember, Mr. Hammond, you cannot judge this Osage girl by exactly the same standards as you would a white girl!”

“Why not?  She’s got to be able to show on the screen the deepest feelings of her nature—­”

“Not if you would have my ‘Brighteyes’ true to life,” interrupted Ruth anxiously.  “You must not expect it.”

“Why not?” he demanded again, with some asperity.  “We don’t want to show the people a dummy.  I tell you the public is getting more and more critical.  They won’t stand for just pretty pictures.  The actors In them must express their thoughts and feelings as they do in real life.”

“Exactly!” Ruth hastened to say.  “That is what I mean.  My ‘Brighteyes’ is a full-blooded Indian maiden just like Wonota.  Now, you talk with Wonota—­try to get to the very heart of the girl.  Then you will see.”

“See what?” he demanded, staring.

“What you will see,” returned Ruth, with a laugh.  “Go ahead and get acquainted with Wonota.  Meanwhile I will be getting this condensed plot of the story into shape for us to talk over.  I must rewrite that street scene again, I fear.  And, of course, we are in a hurry?”

“Always,” grumbled the producer.  “We must start for our Western location as soon as possible; but the New York scenes must be shot first.”

It was a fine day, and the shore of the Lumano River offered a pleasant prospect for out-of-door exercise, and after he had spent more than an hour walking about with Wonota, the canny Mr. Hammond obtained, he said, a “good line” on the character and capabilities of the Indian girl.

“You had me guessing for a time, Miss Ruth,” he laughingly said to the girl of the Red Mill.  “I did not know what you were hinting at I see it now.  Wonota is a true redskin.  We read about the stoicism of her race, but we do not realize what that means until we try to fathom an Indian’s deeper feelings.