And perhaps it was this despondent look that caused Russ Dalwood to utter an exclamation as he met her down at the street door of the apartment house.
"What's the matter?" Alice replied to his startled ejaculation. "Is my hat on crooked; or did one of my feathers get into your eye? Foolish styles; aren't they?"
"No—nothing like that; only you looked—say, Alice, has anything happened?"
"Yes, Russ, there is something the matter," replied Alice, frankly. "Do you know of anybody who wants a young lady to do anything—that a young lady, such as I, could do?"
He laughed.
"I'm serious," she said, and a glance at her pretty face confirmed this. There was a resolute look in her brown eyes.
"Are you looking for work?" Russ asked.
"I am. I was thinking of trying to be a manicurist——"
He made a gesture of disapproval.
"Well, what can I do? I must do something. Poor daddy's voice has failed utterly. He can't take his new part in the play unless he does it in pantomime, and I'm afraid that would hardly be the thing. He simply can't speak his lines, though he can act them."