Tip Top Weekly No. 80: Frank Merriwell as 'Anchor' — page 14: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

12 . FRANK MERRIWELL AS ANCHOR. own adventure, and he did not care to have even cool headed Browning suspect that there was anything so serious in the wind as a deliberate plot to disable Yale athletes. It seemed to Frank asif he had never been in so serious a situation. There had been times in his travels when one ad- venture or another had brought him in danger of his life, but at such times his mind was usually easy; now he was op- pressed by responsibility and anxiety for others. The credit of Vale depended upon the good showing at the inter-collegiate games; whether they won or lost was not so much of consequence as that the Yale crowd should do their best. As one of the managers, Frank felt re- sponsible for the good condition of every man in the party. He set out down Sixth avenue looking to right and left and glancing in at the door of every saloon he passed. There are a good many of these in that quarter, as every New Yorker knows. Near the juncture of Sixth avenue and Broadway area number of places where gamblers resort, and it was in one of these that Frank half suspected and feared to find Mellor. Business was lively in all these places at this hour. Men of all conditions were at the bar getting up appetites for dinner by the aid of cocktails, and discussing all manner of sporting events, from hotse races in New Orleans to cocking mains in New Jersey. Once and a while, as Frank made his way through the crowded barrooms, he overheard some remark about the coming college games, but it did not seem as if the professional sports took very much interest in them, and nothing occurred to give him any clue as to Mellor’s where- abouts. | , “He continued on down the avenue, running through every place he came across, until he got as far as Twenty- Third street. There he paused, feeling tather discouraged. It is worse than looking for a needle in a haystack to hunt for a man in New York. Further down the avenue there were other saloons, but he had already passed out of the district most frequented by gam blers. He had no other theory on which to pursue his search, and it seemed to him that it might be better to return to the hotel and Jet Mellor turn up or not, as it might happen. A public telephone sign caught his eye across the way, and he again went over and rang up the Murray Hill. This time it was Rowland that he asked for, and when Rowland was at the ’phone Frank told him briefly that he was on the hunt for Mellor. “Don’t mention it to anybody,’ Frank added quickly. ‘‘Have you any idea what’s become of him?’ asked Rowland. ‘“‘Mighty little,’? answered Frank. “But if he hasn’t returned to the hotel yet Pl] make another short trip before I give it up.”’ Mellor had not returned, and the con- versation with Rowland was not con- tinued. Frank retraced his steps up the avenue, but this time he did not make so careful a search as he had before; he simply glanced in at various doors and passed on. At length he turned in at Thirtieth street, intending to call at a drinking resort on Broadway which was known to be popular with gamblers. He had taken but a few steps when a sound of laughter attracted him and he paused suddenly. It came from his nent hand. He noticed that he was standing near the side door of a saloon which he COMMICDOO SS co