Frank Merriwell's Fame — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

TIP TOP WEEKLY. 15 Everybody was startled. The word came Pale and shak- He would take Elsie from the table and the room. from Frank Merriwell’s lips. ing, Merry started to rise. All eyes were on him as he dragged him- self up to a standing position at the side of Percy Lockwell. “Hold!” He stretched out his hand. Then he col- lapsed and fell forward on the table, face downward! CHAPTER, V, “YOU WHERE DRUNK!” “What’s the matter with him?” “Too much water!” “He can’t be drunk!” “He’s been drinking nothing but water.” Percy Lock- well, picking up Frank’s half-emptied glass. “Since when?” murmured “It strikes me this is champagne.” And so it was! “Why, the hyprocrite!” cried Leslie Law- rence, laughing. “And he was pretending to drink water all the while. .Oh, ha! ha! ha!” “Well, I’ll be hanged if he didn’t fool me!”’ grugled Parker Folansbee. ‘Oh, ha! ha! ha!” “Ha! ha! ha!” shouted nearly everybody round the table. “Here’s to Frank Meriwell, the total ab- stainer and the first man jagged!” Up rose a girl with flaming cheeks and flashing eyes. "tt 1s “Frank Merriwell has not been drinking false!” cried Bessie Bellwood. wine, and anybody who says he has is ma- liciously trying to hurt him!” There was a moment of silence, and then Lilian Bird said: “Don’t get excited about it, my dear. Why Did the Prisoner Want So Many Eggs? What’s the use? He had a right to take a little wine.” “But he hasn’t touched wine!’ declared Frank’s little champion. “I know it! He 1s ill! Call a doctor!” ‘“He’s not so ill but he'll recover all right bs in the morning,” said Lockwell, meaningly; “though he may have a big head to-mor- row.” But Elsie would not belieye Frank had been drinking. She ran round to his side and put her arms about him, calling: “Frank, Frank, what is the matter? Frank, wake up! Oh, dear! oh, dear!” She wrung her hands helplessly. “Don’t ‘stress yourshelf, Mish Bellwood,” said Folansbee, with an attempt at soberness and dignity. ‘ ’Sall right. Little wine never done anybody hurt, y’know.” “Tt’s not wine; it’s something else. Oh, you are all mean to say such a thing! I’ll go for help myself!” She ran out of the dining room, followed by a shout of laughter. In a short time she returned, followed by two waiters, who seemed to fear that things would be thrown at them. They lifted Frank and carried him from the room, while the carousing company sang, “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow.” Frank was taken up to his room and placed on the bed: Elsie insisted that a doctor should be called. minutes a bell boy returned and informed In the course of thirty her that every doctor in town was attend- ing to patients. Lockwell, pretending to be a great friend of Merri- Of course this was not true. well, had intercepted the boy and told him not to call a doctor. “There is no need of letting this matter get out,” he said. “Of course there is noth- See No. 30 of True Blue. JOO (E(0)