she leaned upon him gratefully, continuing to produce the
symptoms of her illness.

"Put her in a cab at once," said the star, somewhat recovered
from his consternation. "You can pay the cabman," he added.
"Make her as comfortable as you can; she's really ill. Miss
Lyston, you shouldn't have tried to rehearse when you're so ill.
Do everything possible for Miss Lyston's comfort, Packer."

He followed the pair as they entered the passageway to the stage
door; then, Miss Lyston's demonstrations becoming less audible,
he halted abruptly, and his brow grew dark with suspicion. When
Packer returned, he beckoned him aside. "Didn't she seem all
right as soon as she got out of my sight?"

"No, sir; she seemed pretty badly upset."

"What about?"

"Oh, something entirely outside of rehearsal, sir," Packer
answered in haste. "Entirely outside. She wanted to know if I'd
heard any gossip about her husband lately. That's it, Mr.
Potter."

"You don't think she was shamming just to get off?"

"Oh, not at all. I--"

"Ha! She may have fooled you, Packer, or perhaps--perhaps"--he
paused, frowning--"perhaps you were trying to fool me, too. I