Tip Top Weekly No. 139: Frank Merriwell's Father — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

TIP TOP WEEKLY. 9 “Yeou do not feel like writin’ a tall.” “That’s about it.” “Well, then, why don’t ye send ’em some of the newspaper notices abaout yeou and your play: That'll let °em know whut ye’re doin’ of.” “T will,” nodded Frank. “I am glad you spoke of it, Ephraim. There is Hodge. I regretted leaving him to the temptations he must face, and I have not written him a line to keep him cheered up and on the right track. Ephraim, I feel that I have not treated Hodge right. What if anything has happened through my neglect? By Jove! I shall never cease regretting it if anything has | happened! me to-day.” Vi let him hear something from CHAPTER IIT. EPHRAIM’S DEBUT. Ephraim Gallup, dressed and made up for the part he was to play, sat in a dressing room looking as if he were going to a funeral. He was the picture of abject misery and woe His appearance was so comical that Harold Dangerford, who was to play the German comedy, and who had made Ephraim up, called others of the company to look into the dressing room and see him. They gathered laughingly about the door. Gallup heard them laughing and looked up. At first he did not comprehend that they were laughing at him. When he did comprehend it, he did something that no member of the company, with the possible _ exception of Frank Merriwell, had ever _ known him to do before. He got “mad.” Rising to his feet, he glared at them in a wrathy manner, looking unusually tall, as his tight trowsers were strapped up as far as they could be drawn, making his legs seem won- ‘derfully long and thin. “Look here,” he growled, putting his hands on his hips, “be yeou folks larfin’ at me?” The way he asked the question convulsed them. “lf ye be,” grated Ephraim, “yeou wanter hunt yer holes, fer I’m comin’ aout an’ smash up the scenery with the whole caboodle of yel” He thrust back his sleeves and started for them, blood in his eye. At that moment Frank appeared and hast- ened to catch him by the arm, asking: “What are you going to do, Ephraim?” “Let me gal” shouted Gallup, furiously. “I’m goin’ to fight, by thunder! I feel jest like fightin’! I want to fight! I’ve gotter fight! They’ve bin makin’ fun of me, and I will fight!’ “Then fight with me, if you must fight,” laughed Frank, restraining the excited Yan- kee youth with difficulty. “No, it hain’t yeou I want to fight, but them critters larfed at me.” : “Well, if you can make the audience laugh at you that is just what you want. You have started in well by making the company laugh. You have made a hit so quick.” “Wal, I’d like to make another hit—with this!” Ephraim flourished his fist in the air and glared at the door. Frank was convulsed. “Oh, do that on the stage!” he entreated. “Get right into your part after that fashion, and you'll be a winer. If somebody will get you mad just before you go on——” “They want to look out for me if they do, b’gosh! I ain’t to be fooled with.” Frank calmed the Vermonter down after a time, but he could not cheer Ephraim’s drooping spirits. The poor fellow was fright- ened, and ‘he admitted it. WHAT A TWO CENT STAMP WILL DO—SEE LAST PAGE. eomicboao SS (C(O)