Tip Top Weekly No. 139: Frank Merriwell's Father — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

TIP TOP WEEELY. 11 An’ struck me a slap right ‘crost the face, An’ made me mad ernough to fight. I wanted ter kick her round the place, But dad he said it wouldn’t be right. CHORUS. “I alwus mind what dad says ter me Sence fust he tuck me over his knee; But when I’m away ’way outer his sight, I do jest abaout as any boy might, Fer then I know that he’ll never see That I don’t mind what he says ter me. “An’ so, purty soon, when the old man went, (So, boss! keep still; Ill fix ye!) I tuck the stool an’ made a big dent (Take that! Whoa, there! whoa, hish, gee!) Right in her ribs, where I knowed it fit. The darn fool kicked right back at me, But I won’t tell you where her old foot hit; It’s ’way round back where yeou can’t see. CHORUS. “T alwus mind what dad says ter me Sence fust he tuck me over his knee; But when I’m away ’way outer his sight I do jest abaout as any boy might, Fer then I know that he'll never see That I don’t mind what he says ter me.” When Ephraim concluded he was astound- ed by the roar of applause that came from the delighted audience. Men clapped their hands till they were tired and stamped their feet till half the audience fell to coughing from the dust that rose. Ephraim backed off to the side of the stage and seemed on the point of making a break to get out of sight. Frank was there, ‘however, and he mo- tioned for the Vermonter to repeat a stanza. “Sa-ay,” gurgled Gallup, speaking to Frank, “what is the matter with the blamed fools? They act like all possessed!” “You've mnaite a hit,” whispered Frank. “Sing again.” | “Why, I don’t know no other song.” “Repeat the same one. Go ahead. They won't let you go. Go hack and bow and do it over. Go ahead.” “Wal, if this don’t beat all natur!” fluttered Ephraim, as he sauntered back to the center of the proscenium and bowed extravagantly to the delighted people. As the applause died down, he drawled: “What's the matter with yeou folks? Didn’t you never hear any good singin’ be- fore?” | He had caught their fancy, and they laughed at that, as if he had said the wittiest thing possible. Then he repeated the song, and it was re- ceived almost as tumultuously as before, so that he had to give the chorus for a second encore. By this time Gallup had recovered his con- fidence, and he could remember his lines, so he plunged into his part with a droll drawl and Yankee twang that pleased the audience immensely. Frank had expected Ephraim would imi- tate the acting of the one who ‘had played the part before, but he did nothing of the kind. He seemed to have some ideas of his own about the proper manner of doing the part, and he did it in his own style. He told the story of his adventures since coming West to the German comedian, who came on to the stage after Ephraim’s first speech, and the injected into it some queer expressions of his own, adding the finishing touch with the grimaces of his homely face and his droll gestures. The audience seemed conyulsed with mer- riment, and Harold Dangerford, who was doing the German part, was forced to turn © his face trom the footlights, so it might not be seen that he was ready to explode with pent up laughter, for the part.made it neces- sary for him to seem dull and thick-witted. In the wings the various members of the © | “Revenge, mon and Deadly as the Sepulchre!” was Chauncey’ $ Melodramatic Remark. True Blue Ne. 38, GOMiG ooo Ss (CO)