“Do you know Mr. Phelps’s reason?”

Manton shrugged his shoulders.  “Just a whim, and we had to humor it.”

“Mr. Phelps is interested in the company?”

“Yes.  He recently bought up all the stock except my own.  He is in absolute control, financially.”

“What is the story you are making?  I mean, I want to understand just exactly what happened in the scenes you were photographing today.  It is essential that I learn how everyone was supposed to act and how they did act.  I must find out every trivial little detail.  Do you follow me?”

Manton’s mouth set suddenly, showing that it possessed a latent quality of firmness.  He glanced about the room, then rose, went to the farther end of the long table, and returned with a thick sheaf of manuscript bound at the side in stiff board covers.  “This is the scenario, the script of the detailed action,” he explained.

As Kennedy took the binder, Manton opened it and turned past several sheets of tabulation and lists, the index to the sets and exterior locations, the characters and extras, the changes of clothes, and other technical detail.  “The scenes we are taking here,” he went on, “are the opening scenes of the story.  We left them until now because it meant the long trip out to Tarrytown and because it would take us away from the studio while they were putting up the largest two sets, a banquet and a ballroom which need the entire floor space of the studio.”  He turned over two or three pages, pointing.  “We had taken up to scene thirteen; from scenes one to thirteen just as you have them in order there.  It—­ it was in the unlucky thirteenth that she”—­was it my imagination or did he tremble, for just an instant, violently?—­“that she died.”

Kennedy started to read the script.  I hurried to his side, glancing over his shoulder.

THE BLACK TERROR

FEATURING STELLA LAMAH

SCENE 1

Location.—­Remsen library.  This is a modern, luxurious library set with a long table in the center of the room, books around the walls, French windows leading from the rear, and an entrance through a hallway to the right through a pair of portieres.  Note:  E. P. wishes us to use his library at Tarrytown.

Action.—­Open diaphragm slowly on darkened set as a spot of light is being played on the walls and French windows in the rear.  As the diaphragm opens slowly the light vanishes, leaving the scene dark at times and then brightened until, as the diaphragm opens full, we discover that the light is that of a burglar’s flash light, traveling over the walls of the library.  When the diaphragm is fully opened we discover also a faint line of light streaming through the almost closed portieres leading to the hallway outside.  This ray of light, striking along the floor, pauses by the library table, just disclosing