That would explain her not getting letters, and her unwillingness to tell the reason.

But,--somehow, it isn't very plausible.

Why shouldn't she confide in me?
I've begged her to,--and no matter what Uncle Thorpe may have done, it's no real reflection on Azalea." "No; but now _I've_ something to tell you about the girl." Mona gave him a full account of the moving-picture play that she and Patty had visited, and told him, too, of Patty's distress over the pictures of Fleurette.
Farnsworth was greatly amazed, but, like Mona, he knew Patty could not be mistaken as to the identity of Fleurette.
"And I just thought," Mona went on, "that I'd tell you before Patty did,--for,--oh, well, this is my real reason,--Patty is so wrought up and so wild over the Fleurette matter that she can't judge Azalea fairly,--and I don't want to have injustice done to her at this stage of the game.

For, Bill, Azalea has real talent,--real dramatic genius, _I_ think, and if there's no reason against it,--except conventional ones,--I think she ought to be allowed to become a motion-picture actress.

She's bound to make good,--she has the right sort of a face for the screen,--beautiful, mobile, expressive, and really, a speaking countenance.