The Milwaukee Leader

JOY STREET

Gay receives instructions from Mac, the assistant director, as to what she is to do in the test before the camera. Gay feels nervous and feverish and he knows she will fail. When she walks before the camera and obeys orders, she is so ill she is scarcely aware of what she is doing. but because she is fighting to keep control of herself, the director believes she is acting and he applauds her for her skill. In the end she falls into a faint, although Mac believes it is a superb piece of finesse.

CHAPTER 42.

Gay had never fainted before, and because she was young and possessed an abundance of vitality, she regained consciousness almost instantly. She opened her eyes and surveyed the scene before her with a moment's perplexity. The arrival of sandy-haired Ma restored her to her sense of bearing and she struggled to arise.

"That was certainly a life-like flop you took," he said, grinning.

"For a moment I thought it was real."

"I'm not sure it wasn't," replied Gay, weakly. She struggled to her feet and swayed slightly.

"I was so--so overcome with--with feeling, you know."

"You sure took the part seriously, all right," agreed the man.

"Fine piece of work, I'll say."

Gay passed a hand over her forehead and she found beads of perspiration there. Strange, too, because at this moment she was cold as ice.

She tried to regain her composure but she feared every minute that she would sink to the floor again and something of this finally became apparent to the assistant director, for he gave her a curious stare.

"Say, don't you feel well? You look awfully pale, Miss Hathaway," he said abruptly.

Gay shook her head.

"I-I'm all right. Just a bit dizzy. The lights-" Her voice died away and a fit of trembling seized her.

"Like h- like fun you're all right," expostulated Mac. "You're sick. Here, let me help you."

He took her arm and helped her off the set and led her to a chair.

"Sit down here and rest a few minutes. Say," he looked down at her.

"A drink wouldn't do you any harm right now. I'll get you a little snifter."

"Oh, please, don't bother," begged the girl. "I'll be all right in just a moment."

But Mac was gone. The camera man had taken his machine and left, also. and there was nobody around but two electricians on the opposite side of the set, adjusting lights and cables for the shooting of a picture later on. They paid no attention to the girl slumped in the canvas-bottomed chair. One of the men was singing loudly but with very little music:

"S-o-m-e of these d-a-y-s, you're going to miss me honey;

"S-o-m-e- of these d-a-y-s. you're goin' to feel so lonely."

His partner called out:

"Joe, have a heart. You'll break all the light bulbs with that caterwauling."

No, they didn't see Gay, and Gay didn't see them, either..

Gay had fainted again.

"Well, I'll be-" It was Mac.

He had returned and found Gay sitting with her head sunk on her breast-her hands spread helplessly on her lap. He roused himself into action. "Hey, Joe! Hurry over to the hospital department and see if the Doc's there.

A girl's fainted!"

The brandy Mac had fetched soon brought her to consciousness, but Gay was too far gone to apologize for fainting again. . .

Then the doctor.

"Influenza," he said, crisply

"This girl must be put to bed immediately. Where does she live?"

"I'll be damned if I know," said Mac, scratching his head.

"I'll find out in a jiffy, though."

He ran all the way to McCoy's office and grabbed Miss Weise by the arm. "Say," he cried, That Hathaway kid's awful sick.

Where does she live, so we can send her home?"

Miss Weise thought a moment.

"Why. she lives with Beverly Juneau, I believe. 'll get Beverly right away."

All during that long, tedious ride to Greenwich Village in a taxicab, Beverly held her friend in her arms . . . Sometimes Gay was conscious and sometimes she talked wildly about a man named Howard Weston and something about five hundred dollars and there was a jumbled muttering about somebody named McCabe who wanted her to do something or other .. A man in a gay suit seemed to be worrying Gay, also, Beverly deducted from her wild talk ... And Crosley Webb ...

Crosley Webb!

Beverly knew who Crosley Webb was.

Lottie Tyson put Gay to bed.

She was brisk and capable and seemed to know just what do do.

.. And Lottie called a doctor.

.. . Dr. Flandina, a young Italian who attended the villagers and their neighbors. the tenement-housed Italians who swarm upon the side-walks all during the warm summer evenings. Dr. Flandina was young and tough and modern and he knew his business.

"The girl is very sick," he told Lottie and Beverly. "She's only got about one chance in a hundred to pull through. Better get a trained nurse right away."

The two girls looked at each other and wondered what to do.

"Money." said Beverly. "That's what we need. Money. And I've got a pretty good idea where we're going to get it." And she grabbed up a telephone directory and turned to the W's. "Let's see, Charles. C. P. Clifford-ah, here it is. Crosley Webb!"

Copyright, John F. Dille Co.
To Be Continued.

Now what happens? Gay ill and almost penniless. Does Crosley Webb come to her rescue?
Read the next exciting chapter of this story of a girl's fight-now a fight for life.