CHAPTER XII

BOUND FOR THE NORTHWEST

Because of the accident in which Ruth might have been seriously hurt, the company was delayed for a day in New York, Altogether the various shots (some of them of and in one of the tallest office buildings on Broadway) occupied more than a week—­more time than Mr. Hammond wished to give to the work in the East.

Nevertheless, Ruth’s finished script, as handled deftly by the continuity writer, promised so well that the producer was willing to make a special production of it.  The money—­and time—­cost were important factors in the making of the picture; but the selection of the cast was not to be overlooked.  Jim Hooley had chosen the few acting in the Eastern scenes with Wonota, including the hero, whom, to tell the truth, the Indian girl considered a rather wonderful person because she saw him in a dress suit”

“Yes, it is true!  No Indian could look so heroic a figure,” she whispered to Ruth.  “He looks like—­like a nobleman.  I have read about noblemen in the book of an author named Scott—­Sir Walter Scott.  Noblemen must look like Mr. Albert Grand.”

“And to me he looks like a head waiter,” said Ruth, when laughingly relating this to Helen and Jennie.

“Don’t let Mr. Grand hear you say that,” warned Helen.  “They tell me that he refuses to appear in any picture where at least once he does not walk into the scene in a dress suit.  He claims his clientele demand it—­he looks so perfectly splendid in the ‘soup and fish.’”

“Then why laugh at Wonota?” demanded Jennie Stone.  “She is no more impressed by his surface qualities than are the movie fans who like Mr. Grand.”

“Well, it is a great game,” laughed Ruth.  “Some of the movie stars have more laughable eccentricities or idiosyncracies than that.  I wonder what our Wonota will develop if she becomes a star?”

The development of the Indian girl was promising so far.  She had feeling for her part, if it was at first rather difficult for her to express in her features those emotions which, as an Indian, she had considered it proper to hide.  She did just enough of this to make her feelings show on the screen, yet without being unnatural in the part of Brighteyes, the Indian maid.

Mr. Hammond was inclined to believe that “Brighteyes” would be a big feature picture.  The director was enthusiastic about it as well.  And even the camera man (than whom can be imagined no more case-hardened critic of pictures) expressed his belief that it would be a “knockout.”

Mr. Hammond arranged for a special car for the cross-continent run, and he took his own family along, as the weather prophesied for the ensuing few weeks was favorable to out-of-door work and living.  The special car made it possible for Ruth and her two friends, Helen and Jennie, as well as the Osage Indian girl, to be very comfortably placed during the journey.