约翰叔叔、蒙特罗斯太太和侄女们来到圣塔莫尼卡海滩。约翰叔叔坐在沙滩上看着年轻人在海里嬉闹玩耍。忽然，莫德·斯坦顿大声叫了起来。只见海浪中有人绝望地挥动着手臂，情况十分危险。莫德奋力朝那遇险的人游了过去，并吩咐亚瑟和帕齐划船营救。遇险者获救了吗？他又是谁呢？
"It must be ？ne to be an actress，"said Patsy Doyle，with enthusiasm."If I had the face or the ？gure or the ability—all of which I sadly lack—I'd be an actress myself.""I suppose，"replied Maud Stanton，thoughtfully，"it is as good a profession for a girl as any other.But the life is not one of play，by any means.We work very hard during the rehearsals and often I have become so weary that I feared I would drop to the ground in sheer exhaustion.Flo did faint，once or twice，during our first engagement with the Pictograph Company；but we ？nd our present employers moreconsiderate，and we have gained more importance than wehad in the beginning.""It is dreadfully con？ning，though，"remarked Florence，with a sigh."Our hours are worse than those of shopgirls，for the early morning sun is the best part of the day for our work.Often we are obliged to reach the studio at dawn.To be sure，we have the evenings to ourselves，but we are then too tired to enjoy them.""Did you choose，this profession for amusement，or fromnecessity？"inquired Beth，wondering if the question sounded impertinenta.
"Stern necessity，"answered Maud with a smile."We hadour living to earn.""Could not your aunt assist you ？"asked Patsy."Aunt Jane？Why，she is as poor as we are.""Arthur Weldon used to know the Montroses，"said Beth，"and be believed Mr.Montrose left his widow a fortune.""He didn't leave a penny，"asserted Florence."Uncle wasa stock gambler，and when he died he was discovered to be bankrupt.""I must explain to you，"said Maud，"that our father andmother were both killed years ago in a dreadful automobile accident.Father left a small fortune to be divided between Flo and me，and appointed Uncle George our guardian.We were sent to a girls'school and nicely provided for until uncle's death，when it was found he had squandereda our little inheritance as well as his own money.""That was hard luck，"said Patsy sympathetically.
"I am not so sure of that，"returned the girl musingly."Perhaps we are happier now than if we had money.Our poverty gave us dear Aunt Jane for a companion and brought us into a ？eld of endeavorb that has proved delightful.""But how in the world did you ever decide to become actresses，when so many better occupations are open to women ？"inquired Beth.
"Are other occupations so much better ？A motion picture actress is quite different from the stage variety，you know.Our performances are all privately conducted，and although the camera is recording our actions it is not like being stared at bya thousand critical eyes.""A million eyes stare at the pictures，"asserted Patsy."But we are not there to be embarrassed by them，"laughed Flo.
"We have but one person to please，"continued Maud，"and that is the director.If at ？rst the scene is not satisfactory，we play it again and again，until it is quite correct.To us this striving for perfection is an art.We actors are mere details of an artistic conception.We have now been in Hollywood for ？ve months，yet few people who casually notice us at the hotel or on the streets have any idea that we act for the 'movies.'Sometimes we appear publicly in the streets，in characteristic costume，and proceed to enacta our play where all may observe us；but there are so many picture companies in this neighborhood that we are no longer looked upon as a noveltyb and the people passing by pay little attention to us.""Were you in that picture of the falling wall？"asked Beth."No.We were rehearsing for 'Samson and Delilah.'But sometimes we are called upon to do curious things.One night，not long ago，a big residence burned down in the foothills back of our hotel.At the ？rst alarm of ？re one of the directors wakened us and we jumped into our clothes and were whisked in an automobile to the scene of the conflagrationc.The camera—man was already there and，while we had tododgea the fire—fighters and the hose men，both Flo and I managed to be 'saved from the ？ames'by some of our actors—not once，but several times.""It must have been thrilling！"gasped Patsy.
"It was exciting，at the moment，"confessed Maud."One of the pictures proved very dramatic，so an author wrote a story where at the climax a girl was rescued from the ？ames by her lover，and we took our time to act the several scenes that led up to the ？re.The completed picture was a great success，I'm told.""Those directors must be wonderfully enterprising fellows，"said Beth.
"They are，indeed，constantly on the lookout for effects.Every incident that occurs in real life is promptly taken advantage of.The camera—men are everywhere，waiting for their chance.Often their pictures prove of no value and are destroyed，but sometimes the scenes they catch are very useful to work into a picture play.A few weeks ago I was shipwrecked on the ocean and saved by clinging to a raftb.That was not pleasant and I caught a severe cold by being in the water too long；but I was chosen because I can swim.Such incidents are merely a part of our game—a game where personal comfort is frequently sacri？ced to art.Once Flo leaped over a thirty—foot precipicec and was caught in a net at the bottom.The net was，of course，necessary，but when the picture was displayed her terrible leap was followed by a view of her mangled body at the bottom of the canyona.""How did they manage to do that？"asked Patsy.
"Stopped the camera，cut off the piece of film showing her caught by the net，and substituted a strip on which was recorded Flo's body lying among the jagged rocks，where it had been carefully and comfortably arranged.We do a lot of deceptive tricks of that sort，and sometimes I myself marvel at bthe natural effects obtained.""It must be more interesting than stage acting.""I believe it is.But we've never been on the stage，"said Maud.
"How did you happen to get started in such a queer business ？"inquired Patsy.