Birds flitted here and there amid the bright flowers, but to the moving picture girls the palms seemed the most wonderful of all.  Such palms!

“I never realized that the great Creator could make anything so beautiful,” murmured Ruth, reverently.  “And, Oh!  Alice; to think that we can enjoy it!”

“Yes, isn’t it wonderful, after all the storm and stress of the fire, to be in this lovely, calm place?”

“And the best part of it is that we’re getting paid for it!” observed a voice behind the two girls.  They turned, with a start, for they had lost themselves in a dreaming reverie, to find Russ and Paul smiling at them.  It was Paul who spoke.

“It does seem a shame to take the money under these circumstances,” added Russ, with a laugh.

“It’s like a vacation,” agreed Alice.  “Oh, but isn’t it just—­just too—­”

She was evidently searching for a fitting simile.

“Alice,” warned Ruth, gently.  She was endeavoring to wean her sister from the habit of using slang expressions; but Alice always boasted that she liked to take “short cuts,” and that slang—­that is, her refined variety—­offered the best method of accomplishing this very desirable object.

“Oh, I was only just going to say—­scrumptious!” laughed the younger girl.  “You don’t mind that; do you, sister mine?  This is really the most scrumptiously scrumptious place I’ve ever seen!”

“I’m afraid you’re hopeless,” was the smiling retort.

“Well, it’s certainly swell—­that’s my word for it,” answered Russ, with a frank laugh.

Indeed, Mr. Pertell had not spared expense in taking out his moving picture company.  And he had a method in going to one of the largest and finest hotels in St. Augustine.  He intended to stage some scenes of one of the Southern plays there, and having his actors and actresses right in the hotel made it much more practical.

“Let’s take a walk,” proposed Russ.  “There’s nothing to do to-day.”

It was the morning after their arrival and Mr. Pertell was not quite ready to proceed with making films.  The fire aboard the Tarsus, and the necessity of taking another vessel, had rather upset everyone, so a day or so of rest had been decided upon.

“Where shall we go?” asked Alice, readily falling in with the proposal.  “You’ll come, won’t you, Ruth?”

“I think so—­yes.”

“There are lots of places to see,” suggested Paul.  “This is the oldest city in the United States.  I’ve got some guide books up in my room, and a lot of views.  We’ll pick out some points of interest and visit them.”

“We’ll have plenty of chance to see the sights,” remarked Russ.  “I understand there are to be a number of films made in the city and vicinity, so you’ll probably have to act out around Fort Marion and at Fort Mantanzas, as well as in the slave market.  I’ll be with you in a minute.  I just want to get my little hand camera, to make a few snap-shots.”