Work and Win #07: Fred Fearnot as Actor — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

a ‘ FRED FEARNOT AS AN ACTOR. 21 ~ Out ol the street they all hurried back to the hotel, | dred dollars, and told her to use it to bss oc things Fred keeping charge of Gussie as though he had de- ! that had been destroyed. voted himself specially to her protection. ‘“Why, I didn’t lose one-fourth what this would ** You’ve saved my life, Fred,’? said Gussie, ‘‘ but | buy,’”’ she replied. Pm in an awful fix.” ‘‘ Never mind about that. Put the balance away ‘* What’s the matter ?’’ he asked. where it will be safe, and when you get to Minne- “Why, I lost all of my clothes that I wore down | apolis you can buy such things as you want, which there, including stage costumes.” probably you couldn’t find in a little place like this.” ** Don’t let that worry you, dear. You can have a “IT may never be able to repay this, Fred,’”’ she hun@red dollars to-morrow morning to get anything | said, hesitatingly. you want.” ‘¢QOh, that’s all right, little girl. Some day you’ll *« Fred,’’ she asked, ‘‘ why are you so good to mef™ | be getting a big salary, as leading lady in some eu her eyes filling with tears. company, where you could be able to pay it back out ** Because I’ve found out you are a good little girl, | of a week’s salary.” Gussie, giving your sick mother every dollar of your “Oh, I dare not indulge such a hope,”’ she replied. salary. I’m not in this thing for the money that’s in “Well, you keep a light heart and good times are it at all, but simply for the fun, having nothing else | in store for you yet.’’ to do just now, and you must not forget what I told The next town they played in the news of the fire you yesterday—that Fred Fearnot is your brother, to | and the narrow escape of the girls gave them @ whom you can come for protection, or anything else | crowded house, and when Fred, as the patriot spy, you need.”’ appeared on the stage, he was greeted vith a storm **T’ll never forget your kindness,’’ she remarked. of applause, and they kept it up until some one im ** Oh, I won’t forget you, either,’’ he returned, ‘‘ be- | the audience began to call his name and asked him cause what I have done for you has been a source of | for a speech. great happiness forme. A girl who has to earn her He stepped forward to the footlights, waved his own living and Support her mother doesn’t have much | hand for silence, and an instant hush fell upon the of a show in life.’ audience. “That’s so,” she said. ‘Still, 1 could be papPy ‘Kind friends,’ he said, “whilst thanking you, and contented in my work if only mother was well.” | permit me to say that if you don’t keep quiet, you’ll “Well, don’t forget that if your mother needs any- | be in danger of another fire, as you’ll knock the lights thing you are to let me know.’ down about our heads.’ By that time he had reached the hotel, where the «‘Tell us about the fire,’’ cried a voice in the crowd. girls got around him, singing his praises for his cool “Wait till after the performance and I will,’’ and courage in the face of great danger. with that he stepped back to his place on the stage “Oh, I’ve been in a fire before,’ laughed Fred. | and the play went on. “Very few people ever get burned up in a fire except Gale as a British officer, was the leading man, but those who lose their heads. If they keep cool and | Fred, as the patriot spy was the lion of the hour. look eee they'll be very apt to find some avenue | Every time he appeared the audience roared applause of escape.’ and cheered every sentiment he uttered. Gale was Gussie, with scarcely anything on except Fred’s | positively enraged, but he kept his temper admirably overcoat, ran up to her room, put on another dress | while on the stage. and soon returned with the overcoat on her arm. In the third act, where Fred rushed out, rifle in “Say, Gussie,’’ laughed Terry, ‘‘you look real | hand, to rescue the patriot maiden, he and Nellie cute in that overcoat, you ought to get one like it.”’ played their parts so well that the wildest kind of ex- “It felt very comfortable while I was in it,’’ she |; citement ensued, hundreds of people rising to their replied, laughingly. ‘*I would have lage in an | feet as he held the British soldiers at bay, and finally awful fix if Fred hadn’t loaned it to me.’ seized the girl in his arms and dashed through the On investigation it was found that both the stage | woods with her. costumes in Gussie’s dressing room had been de- Then:came the scene at the old well, and after the stroyed, and Mrs. Hammond was very much exer- | first verse was sung, and while the audience were cised over it, as she would be compelled to supply the | listening to the owls and the whippoorwills, Nellie: deficiency by purchasing such cheap material as | crept through the bushes, stood by him in the moon- could be found in a country town. She was up very | light and sang the rest of the song with the two early the next morning, hurried out? to the stores, | boys. made the purchases, and asked the wife of the hotel Then came the howling of the wolves and the yow!s keeper to send for a couple of dressmakers in great | of the wildcats, and in her terror the girl threw her haste. By noon she succeeded in getting up some | arms around his neck, whereupon he lifted her up and pretty good substitute for the costumes that had been | bore her away, thus again making a hit. lost. At the next town he added a new scene in the song In the meantime, as soon as Gussie appeared the | by the old well which lasted nearly ten minutes. The next morning after poe Br red handed her a hun- girl again joined them and Ta)sqne| Hore) <Su(eloyjn) be. i oo.