Work and Win #07: Fred Fearnot as Actor — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

4 FRED FEARNOT AS AN ACTOR. ‘*Oh, we'll meet again some day,”’ laughed Fred, «sand when we do we'll have a good time.”’ The train sped on and in due time the two boys reached the town in Iowa, beyond the Mississippi, where they were to make their first stop. They ar- rived in the night, hence had no time to see the town, until the next day. After breakfast the next morn- ing they asked the clerk of the hotel where they could find a certain prominent lawyer, whom they were to see in reference to the business on which they had come. The clerk told them where they could find his office, and they set out to do so. The lawyer proved to be quite a prominent politi- cian in the town, who, as soon as he received the let- ter of introduction which Fred had brought to him, invited them to have a drink. «“Thank you,”’ returned Fred. ‘‘ Neither of us drink anything, sir.”’ ‘©The deuce you don’t! How do you expect to at- tend to business without first bracing up ?” «We both just braced up with a hearty breakfast,’’ laughed Fred, ‘‘ washed down by a cup of good cof- fee.”’ ‘«©Oh, a breakfast is simply the foundation for a dozen good drinks,’’ returned the lawyer. «A dozen, eh? Why, that would make a tank of a fellow.”’ «¢Oh, no, a man out here isn’t a tank until he’s had sixty drinks in him.”’ Well,” laughed Fred, ‘‘ we don’t belong out here. We’re here on business only. So if you are ready I’d like to settle up the matter to-day, if possible.’’ «‘Oh, don’t be in such a hurry. You haven’t seen any of the town yet. You want to get acquainted face of the earth.”’ Karly as it was, Fred saw that the man had been drinking, and knew that unless he could transact the business immediately the chances were that he would be drunk before noon. So he said: «‘See here, Mr. Cochran, when we’ ve settled up this business, then 1 want to take in the town and get ac- quainted with the people. My father knows that I will be here to-day, and will naturally expect to hear from me as soon aS | have seen you. Sold be glad if you’d let me have the papers to look over them, and see the other two parties who are interested in the matter.”’ ‘1 don’t believe the other two gentlemen are in town to-day,’’ returned the lawyer. ‘“Well, you have the papers all ready, have you not ?”’ “‘ Oh, yes, the papers are ready,’’ and with that he turned to his desk, and after a hunt of some ten or fifteen minutes, found the papers which he handed to Fred. The latter looked over them very carefully, and in one found an omission that was fatal to the whole transaction. His written instructions were so explicit he could make no mistake whatever if he followed them to the strictest letter. He called Cochran’s at- | with our people, who are just the best people on the very handsome cattle. “HANDSOME HARRY.” tention to the omission, who remarked, in an offhand way: “Oh, that’s all right.”’ ‘““No, sir,’’? and Fred shook his head. wrong, and the correction must be made.”’ “Are you a lawyer ?’’ Cochran asked. Nia ‘Well, lam; and I say that it’s all right.”’ ‘My father is a lawyer, as you know,”’ returned Fred very quietly, ‘‘and a very able one at that. He has given me written instructions what to do, as well as what not to do, and of course Iam bound to follow those instructions in both letter and spirit. So this omission must be rectified or else the matter can- not be closed.”’ “Well, I'll have to see my clients about that,’’ re- turned Cochran. : “‘ Where are they and when can you see them ?”’ *“*T don’t think either of them are in town,”? was the reply. ‘Can you communicate with them 2’? Fred asked. ‘‘T don’t know, but I will find out. If you will drop in this afternoon I will let you know.’’ “All right. What hour shall we call 2? “Well, say two o’clock.”’ “ Allright; we’ll be here at two o’clock sharp,’’ and with that the two boys left the office and went out on the street. “Say, Terry,’? remarked Fred, ‘‘as sure as you live that fellow is a rascal, and he’s trying to play a game.”’ «‘Shouldn’t wonder,’’ returned Terry. “Well, I’m going to find out whether those two men are in town or not,”’? and with that he returned ‘*-Thi ses ae to the hotel, where he inquired of the clerk if he knew the two men whose names he gave him. One was named Rockwell, and the other Jones. “© Yes,’’ said the clerk, ‘‘I know them both. Rock- well lives over on Dearborn street, and Jones just out on the south side of town, where he has a large farm.”’ «Will you order a horse and buggy for us 2”? Fred asked. << Yes, of course.”’ “*Do so, then, or you’d better make it a two-seated vehicle, with a driver.”’ ‘All right,’’ said the clerk, ‘‘ we’ll have it here in- side of twenty minutes.”’ It was a carriage when it came, and Fred, on enter- ing it, said to the driver that they wished to go out to Jones’ place, on the south side of town. « All right,’’ said the driver, who promptly drove off, and in due time reached the home of Mr. Jones, where Fred asked him to find out whether Jones was at home. The driver went up to the house and made inquiry, after which he returned with the information that Jones was out at the barn. “Then wait for us,’’ instructed Fred, “ and we'll see him.’’ They found Jones in the barn, looking after some (E(0) michboo CS