That would mean an outlay of not less than six thousand dollars a week, which is doubtless more money than your five-cent theatre could take in." This argument staggered the girls for a moment.

Then Beth asked: "How do the ordinary theatres manage ?" "The ordinary theatre simply rents its pictures, paying about three hundred dollars a week for the service.

There is a 'middleman,' called the 'Exchange,' whose business is to buy the films from the makers and rent them to the theatres.

He pays a big price for a film, but is able to rent it to dozens of theatres, by turns, and by this method he not only gets back the money he has expended but makes a liberal profit." "Well," said Patsy, not to be baffled, "we could sell several copies of our films to these middlemen, and so reduce the expense of making them for our use." "The middleman won't buy them," asserted Jones.

"He is the thrall of one or the other of the trusts, and buys only trust pictures." "I see," said Uncle John, catching the idea; "it's a scheme to destroy competition." "Exactly," replied young Jones.
"What does the Continental do, Maud ?" asked Patsy.
"I don't know," answered the girl; "but perhaps Aunt Jane can tell you." "I believe the Continental is a sort of trust within itself," explained Mrs.Montrose.