He hurried out of the room and down the hall to the stage.
CHAPTER XXI.
ENTER THE GIRL.
The following night, Saturday, while the stage crew were setting the second act, Klein strolled into the property room for a “side prop.”
“Where’s my decanter?” he asked of the property man, Kingston.
The latter motioned toward a shelf. “Up there. I’ve had a new batch of tea put in it.”
Klein took the decanter and started with it toward the door. At the same time he noticed Kingston placing a new photograph in the silver frame used in the coming act.
Aware of the actor’s apparent interest, the property man said, in a disgusted way: “These fool temperamental actors make me sick. Tanner told me I must change the picture in this frame. I told him to go chase himself, but when Metcalfe came along a few minutes later and asked me to do the same thing—well, I thought I’d better give in and not take chances on makin’ trouble.”
“What is the matter with the photograph?” Klein asked casually.
“That’s what I couldn’t get at,” Kingston returned. “The thing ain’t seen by the audience. If it wasn’t for the director stickin’ to what he calls details, I could just as well have stuck in a sheet of cardboard.”
Klein reflected, watching the man insert a new photograph and toss Delmar’s into a drawer.