"Oh! Oh!" she screamed as the beast put out his red tongue. "Help! A bear! A bear!" and she slammed her door shut with such energy that she knocked a picture from the wall. Ruth shot home the bolt, and then, in a frenzy of fear, pulled the washstand against the door.
"What is it? Oh, what is it?" cried Alice from her apartment across the corridor. "What is it, Ruth?" for she had heard her sister's frantic appeal, though not catching the words.
"Don't open your door! Don't open you door!" begged Ruth. "There's a bear in the hall!"
"A bear?"
"Yes, a great big one!"
But in spite of this Alice did open her door a little. She closed it quickly enough, however, at the sight of the shaggy brown creature and, pounding on the door of her father's room, which connected with hers, she cried;
"Daddy, get help, quick! There's a bear in the hall!"
There was a speaking tube from the actor's apartment to the hotel office, and he was soon transferring his daughter's message down this.
Meanwhile Mr. Sneed, coming out of his room from the lower end of the hall, encountered the beast, and turned back with a yell. He nearly collided with Mr. Towne, who was at that moment coming out of his room, faultlessly attired, even to a heavy walking stick.
"Look out!" cried Mr. Sneed, racing along.