Work and Win #07: Fred Fearnot as Actor — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

- \ FRED FEARNOL AS AN ACTOR. 11 « Yes,’’ exclaimed the other, eott !’ and both of them waved their gloved hands at the two boys, who went forward to assist them in alighting from the omnibus. *“What in thunder are you two boys doing here °?”’ exclaimed Hammond, the manager. “Oh, we’re just seeing the country,” laughed Fred, *“and when we found that your crowd was to be here to-night we stopped over to help out your box re- ceipts.”’ ** Glad to hear it !’’ and he shook their hands very cordially, as did all the other members of the com- pany. It was a very cold day, and they had had a cold ride, so they hurried into the hotel to warm up and get something to eat. ‘¢ What luck have you been having ?’’ Terry asked one of the actors, whose name was Sam Innes. “Oh, we’ve been having pretty good houses,’’ he replied, ‘* but one of our crowd hadarow with the man- ager and left him, so he’s in a terrible stew about it. Gale has to make up by playing two parts, and he’s having a row with the manager, claiming a salary for two. The old man can’t see it, and Gale is threat- ening to strike.”’ «That’s an interesting situation,’? laughed Fred. “Yes; very interesting to the manager.”’ ** How isit going to come out ?”’ Fred asked. ‘* Hanged if I know, and I don’t believe anybody else does. How long have you two been here ?”’ **Only about an hour. Wecame down from Min- neapolis.”’ “Is that so? I believe we are billed to reach there in a couple of weeks, and play foraweek. It’s one of the best show towns in the West.’’ ‘* It’s a pretty lively place,’’ remarked Fred. ry and I spent a week there.’’ ‘Oh, my,’’ exclaimed one of the girls, ‘“‘ I’m starv- ing to death! We haven’t had any dinner yet, and here it is after three o’clock.”’ «Oh, I guess they’re getting upa dinner for a returned Terry, ‘‘for it’s long after the dinner hour, you know.’’ A little later dinner was announced, and the entire company hurried into the dining room, where they played havoc with the meal that had hastily been fixed up for them. Fred and Terry waited in the sitting room till they came out again and spent a half hour or so chatting with the two actresses. Then the manager’s wife told the girls to go up to their room and try to get some sleep, so as to be well rested before going to the Opera House. Soon after the girls went upstairs the ce Ter- manager again took Fred aside, and said to him : j «See here, Fearnot, I’m in a deuce of a tight fix and want you to help me out.”’ ‘“‘What’s the matter ?”’ Fred asked. “One of my company has left me and another has to fill two roles. What’s the matter with your help- ing me out with one of them?” 7 Db iapdes Tf gxololned Fred. ‘‘The time is ‘‘and there’s Mr. Ol- | too short. It would be impossible for me to learn the lines in time to help you to-night.”’ «Well, now, look here, are you foot-loose at pres- ent ?”’ «Yes, we haven’t a thing todo. We’ve attended to the business that brought us out West.” ‘‘Then why not go along with us and help us out. I’ll give you twenty-five dollars a week and ex- penses.”’ ‘Do you mean both of us ?”’ Fred asked. «Yes, for Frank Gale has been threatening to quit, because I won’t pay him two salaries for the two roles he’s played the last three nights.”’ «Which is Gale, that tall, black-eyed fellow ?’’ Fred asked. Ves: «‘ Well, now, see here,’’ us are actors.”’ ‘‘Oh, that’s all right. I saw enough of both of you — on the Erie train to convince me that you canadda _ new feature to the show by your singing. We don’t — have any ane Ne in the play, but it is easy enough to + ring it in.’ P “Tl tell you what I'll do,” said Fred. ‘Don’t a say a word about it to anybody, and I[’ll talk with 3 Terry and let you know inside of fifteen or twenty — minutes what we'll do.”’ : ‘All right,’? returned the manager. “ I’ll go down ~ to the Opera House and see that everything is in — proper shape, and you and your friend can come down a there when you have talked the matter over.”’ With that the manager turned away and went — down the street, whilst Fred went in search of Terry. He found him talking with one of the actors, and told — him he wanted to see him up in the room fora few — minutes, and together they went up there. ’ “Say, Terry,’ laughed Fred, “hanged if Ham- ‘ mond hasn’t asked us to join his company.”’ ; “©The deuce he has !”’ “Yes; one of his crowd has left, you know; and that tall, black-eyed fellow has been playing a double ~ role. He wants us to come on and sing some songs ~ to-night and watch closely Gale’s performance.”’ ; «Well, Pll be hanged !’’ exclaimed Terry. ‘*‘ What would they think of it at home, if they heard that we were acting out West here ?’’ ““Oh,-we needn’t let them know it, and we’ll have oceans of fun, besides getting paid for it. 1 don’t — know of anything that we could get more fun out of, for they are a jolly crowd. What do you say to it?” — ‘‘]’m with you,’’ laughed Terry. ‘I don’t know what we could do as actors, but I guess we can sing about as well as any singers that come along out this way, so there’s hardly any danger of a shower of dead cats and stale eggs and rotten turnips.’’ «* Well, let’s go down to the Opera House and see the manager about it. He offers us twenty-five dollars a week and expenses.”’ ‘ “Well, that isn’t bad. We can make money at _ that, although just now we are pretty well heeled,’ They went down to the Conn icboo, <SUGOM | ry 4 said Fred, ‘‘neither one of oe oe a