Tip Top Weekly No. 139: Frank Merriwell's Father — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

TIP TOP WEEKLY, 7 The place had been well advertised. The paper of the play was to be seen everywhere, and the best windows were filled with the photograph boards. Deivin Riddle, the advance man, was doing his work well, and Frank congratulated him- self on securing such an agent, for Riddle had once been Merry’s rival and had been worsted in an ericounter. | Not all of the company was aware of the changes that. had been made to fill the gap made by the disappearance of Lockwell, and there was no small amount of. curiosity and anxiety over the matter. Havener called the company together on the stage and talked to them a little, and then the rehearsal began. Dunton was back in his old part, and he went at it with enthusiasm, which met with Havener’s approval, for the stage manager believed in actors rehearsing as they expected to play. He could not tolerate dawdling at rehearsals and would not have it. Of course Dangerford, in the part of the German comedian, was not letter pertect, but he did very well. All were surprised when Ephraim Gallup came on to play the Yankee. And Ephraim? He was all broken up. Right in the middle of his first speech he got twisted, and then he stopped and glared around. - “Look here, gol darn it!” he cried, “I wisht | yeou folks would stop starin’ at me zif I’d jest escaped from some dime museum! It jest breaks me all up!” | Havener encouraged Ephraim, but the poor fellow made an awiul mess of the re- hearsal. When it was all over Folansbee was in a complete state of collapse. “He'll ruin the play to-night,” the man- ager declared. “TI don’t think that,” said Frank, calmly. That Was Cannibal-Like to try to Chew Clif's Har. True Blue No. 38. “Look at the mess he made of a simple rehearsal!” | “Yes, but this ‘simple chearsal,’ as you call it, was more trying for him than playing before a good house to-night will be.” “How do you make that out?” “Simple enough. Ephraim knew every- body was watching him to see how he would do. He knew he was being watched by a lot of people who could act, and he realized that he was not an actor. It broke him all up. To-night the will not think of the actors and actresses who are watching him.” “But he will see a big audience out in 3? front, and “That will brace him up. Rehearsals are more trying than performances for a fresh actor. He feels that he is being criticised and laughed at, and it rattles him. The per- formance puts him on his mettle. Gallup will do all right to-night.” “Well, no one can hope so more than L ” If Frank had any doubts about it he did not show them. He sought Ephraim and encouraged the poor fellow as much as he could. Gallup was sitting on a box in one of the dressing rooms, mopping his face with a handkerchief. He seemed weak and limp. “It’s no use, Frank!” he almost sobbed. “1 can’t do it!” | “Oh, yes you can!” laughed Merry, en- couragingly. “You are all right.” “Nope; I Bnew better. Why, I’m. shakin’ all over naow.’ | “You'll get over that.” “I may git over it jest naow, but good Lord! I'll kerflummix when I git reddy to come aout before all them people ter-night.” “This isn’t the first time you have appeared before an audience. Remember. the im- promptu entertainment we got up when we. 9. were stranded. You-— eonnicboo SS (C (0)