"Well, where have you been?" demanded Goldstein gruffly, as Maud Stanton entered his office the next morning in response to a summons from the Continental manager. "What made you run away yesterday? Don't you know such things make us lots of trouble and cost us money?"
"I'm not worrying about that," replied Maud, as she composedly sat down opposite the manager.
Goldstein glared at her, but he was cautious.
"You're a fine actress, Miss Stanton, and you're popular on the films," he said, "but if you cannot attend to business we are paying you too much money."
"Indeed!"
"No other firm could afford to give you so much, you know that; and the only reason we are so extravagant is because you are one of our features."
"Am I to take this as a dismissal?" she asked carelessly.
"Dismissal!" he cried, holding up his hands. "Of course not. Who is talking of dismissal? But I owe a duty to my firm. Such actions as yours, in running away from rehearsals, must have a—a—reprimand. Not severe; I am not so angry as grieved; but a reprimand is your due—and that fly-away sister of yours is just as bad."
"We went to assist your president—Mr. Jones—to establish his innocence of the awful charge made against him," she explained.
"Bah. You can't do that. No one can save him," he replied, with triumph and satisfaction mingled in his tone.