Frank Merriwell's Fame — page 13: what you’re looking at

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TIP TOP WEEKLY. 11 he took pains to drink in my presence, as if to let me know that I have no influence in the affairs of this company. He told me as much.” “Why, the fellow shall be called down— yes, sir, I say he shall! Where is he?” “Wait a minute. He said he saw you take drink with Lockwell.” “He did?” es. “Well i : Folansbee stopped, at loss for words. His position was embarrassing. He scowled and stammered. And then, all at once, he snapped: “What right had Mr. Lawrence to play What right had he to be rubber- If Mr. Lockwell was not feeling the spy! necking? well and I saw fit to give him a drink of my whisky——” ‘Did Lockwell say he wasn’t feeling well?” ““No—no—but ¥ “I did not observe that he appeared ill.” “I did,” declared Folansbee, desperately. “T saw he needed a drink. Besides that, no rule like that should be enforced too rigidly. There are times when * “lf there are such times, then we had bet- ter abolish the rule. Rules are made to be obeyed, Mr. Folansbee, and when it is found that one rule can be broken with impunity, others will be broken. That will ruin dis- erpune.”’ “Too much discipline is worse than none. You can’t keep actors from taking an occa- sional drink.”’ “T am not trying, but I do not believe in having any men in the company who cannot get along without drinking during perform- ances, for examples are contagious, and where one drinks others’will. Jl-am working for the general good of all, as you must be aware, Mr. Folansbee.” “Yes, yes, I think you're right; but still I say you can't be too strict, Merriwell—you can’t be too strict.” Folansbee plainly showed his irritation, and Merry saw it‘would do no good to make further talk to the man then. “All right,’ said Frank, slowly. talk it over some other time.” “We'll “Yes, some other time. We're going to shave a supper at the hotel, you know. You'll have to make a speech, Merriwell. The sup- per is to be in your honor.” Now no fellow ever enjoyed a jolly supper more than Frank Merriwell, but something told him this supper would be a mistake. Still it was to be in his honor, and he could not afford to seem otherwise than pleased. He went to his dressing room and pre- pared to shed his dress suit. Folansbee fol- lowed and advised him to keep it on. “We'll have this supper as swell as possi- ble,” he said. company has a dress suit, for nearly all wear “Almost every man in the them in the last act of the play, so I have asked them to keep on their costumes as they appear in the final act, removing the make-up We'll have a rollicking supper, and it will be the talk of from their faces, that’s all. this town.” So Frank rubbed cocoa butter over his . face and washed up, keeping on his dress suit. Half an hour later the members of the company and the manager of the theatre sat down to the supper provided for them at the hotel. As Frank had expected, wine flowed freely. Folansbee was at the head of the table, with Frank in the place of honor. The supper began in a merry fashion, with a chatter of talk, jokes, and stories. Basil Holt, who played “heavies,” but could do a comedy turn on a pinch, had be- WE WANT.EVERY.READER TO HAVE A PRIZE—See Page 32. JOO com