Tip Top Weekly No. 139: Frank Merriwell's Father — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

2 TIP TOP WEEELY. “Why, what are you talking about? How will it be all right? Marshall is a good smart town, and its people are shrewd and _ intelligent. They will not be fooled into accepting the piece if somebody has to go on and read a part like that of “Ben Haggerty,’ the villain.” “We won't have anybody read it,” said ‘Merry, undisturbed. “But you can’t leave it out, and you can't——. I say, is there any way to double it? Perhaps that is what you are going to try to do? Perhaps that is what you are going to work at now?” “No.” “Eth?” “Not that.” “What, then?” “An idea.” “For what?” “Another play.” Folansbee gasped. He could not under- stand the coolness of Frank at such a mo- ment. “Another play?’ he gurgled. “My dear fel- low, you must be joking!” Usually Parker Folansbee was languid and listless; now he was anything but that. The success at the very outset of “John Smith of Montana” had opened his eyes to the possi- bility of making a “barrel of money” with the piece, and the danger of the seemingly im- pending calamity overwhelmed him. Never before had he been so disturbed. “Oh, no, I am not joking,” assured Frank. “T have some ideas for a new piece that I be- lieve will knock the spots off this one. I am getting those ideas down and preparing to work on them before they slip me. You know you can’t tell what will happen to this piece.” That alarmed Folansbee more than ever. “What are you talking about?” he splut- tered, feeling like shaking the calm youth. | “Why should anything happen to this piece? I’ve put my money behind it; I’ve paid out good stuff for scenery and mechanical ar- rangements, and—— “You will get every cent back—with inter- est. The piece is making money fast, and 33 “That’s just it. Now there is danger that the whole thing will go up on account of a nasty game of poker. I wish I had not played with Lockwell! I wish I had not let you into the game!” “Mr. Folansbee!”’ “Well, Lockwell would be with the com- pany now, and “He and his friend, Lawrence, would be beating you out of more mroney each night than the show could put into your pocket.” “But you might have told me quietly, with- out exposing them in that dramatic fashioa and getting us into this scrape. Then we could have dropped Lockwell after we ‘had provided somebody to fill his place.” “Mr. Folansbee, I presume you have played poker for a number of years?” “Yes, since I was a boy.” “Exactly. You know the game well?” “As well as possible, I believe.” “Just so. You are rather proud of your knowledge of the game.” “Oh, I only know how to play a square game!” “That’s all right. You are not a fool, and you do not like to believe that anybody has played you for a sucker.” “Well, I don’t believe any man likes to think that.” | “Of course not; and you can not make an enemy of a man quicker than'by telling him ~ the has been played for a sucker, even though he may know it is true. once.” “T suppose that is right.” He resents it at “Tf I had played the game through and lefe _ Who was it Clif Declared Charmed Them All ? True Blue No. 30. cloOO COUNNMIG SS (CO)