The $500 Check — page 270: what you’re looking at

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

MR. HARDING’S PAPERS. 251 which occupied a quarter of acolumn. This is the portion that most interested him : “The part of the newsboy was effectively taken by Mr. Bert Barton, who was engaged at the last moment to fill the place of Mr. Hazleton. His acting was spirited, and the fact that it was liked was shown by the hearty call before the curtain at the end of the second act. The management are fortunate in secur- ing so good a substitute for Bob Hazleton.’’ Bert’s face showed his gratification. It almost seemed a dream to him that he had really appeared on the stage, and he was glad that he had given satisfaction. At ten o’clock he reported at the stage en- - trance, where he was met by Mr. Pearson, who was associate manager. He went through a rehearsal which enabled. him to look forward with more confidence to a repetition of the part. The afternoon he had to himself, and a part of this he spent in trying to find out what he could about Ralph Harding. He learned that Harding had been employed in the shoe factory of Benedict & Co. Two of Mrs. Stubbs’s board- ers worked at the same place, but neither had GOmichoo Ss (E(@) m