Work and Win #07: Fred Fearnot as Actor — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

es aoe ee wa Gale rose to his feet again, and stood leaning against the wall of the room, glaring at Fred like a “tiger at bay. Fred walked up to him and deliberately Brocka him down again, notw ithstanding the fact that Gale was several inches taller than he, and at least thirty pounds heavier. For all that the actor never landed a blow, for Fred was quick as lightning and a master of the sctence of sparring. **That’s all right, Fearnot,’? said Gale. ‘‘Tac- knowledge I’m in the soup.”’ ‘That settles it, then,’’ replied Fred. ‘I’m sorry you made the mistake you did, but I suppose a new- comer has to be sized up.’’ The other members were utterly astonished at the crushing defeat of Gale, who had been the bully of the company ever since he joined it. They had no sympathy for him whatever, and Innes’ attempt at _ interference was not so much out of friendship for him, as to a natural desire to exhibit his own prowess. Terry’s threat, however, to shoot, had prevented him from taking a hand in it. turned to Terry and asked : . <* Are you in the habit of carrying a revolver ?”’ ““No,’”’ laughed Terry, ‘‘I haven’t got any revol- ver on me.”’ ‘“* You haven’t, eh ?’’ No. " *«* Why did you say ‘you had, then ?”’ a4 “Oh, look here, now,”’ laughed Terry, ‘‘do you know how to play poker ?”’ eyes.” F ‘Don’t you understand a bluff ?”’ ' = Yes.’ «“Well, what’s ailing you, then? Why didn’t you : call my bluff ?” ? The actors roared with laughter at Innes’ expense, but the fellow had the good sense to join in, shake hands with Terry, and remark : ‘7 had no stake in the jack pot, but just to get even with you, I’d like to put on the gloves with you for a few minutes.”’ ‘¢ Nothing would please me better,’’ said Terry, ‘‘and we’ll try it sometime, for I’ve knocked the ae ee wind out of Fred in three rounds.”’ ‘*Oh, you have, eh ?”’ : ‘‘Yes. Haven’t I, Fred ?’’ ‘“‘ Yes, 1 own up to it,’’ laughed Fred. «Well, then,”’ returned Innes, ‘‘ you don’t knock any out of me. Not if I can keep out of your WAS «All right. Just keep out of my way, and you’ll keep your wind. We are not professionals in any- thing, except in taking care ‘of No.1. We both think we are good fellows and want everybody else * 40 think so, too, So we’ll shake hands and all go to | bed.’’ And they shook hands all around and went upstairs to their rooms, where they slept till quite * alate hour the next day. When Gale arose the next morning he had a pair _ aie After Gale left the rcom and went upstairs, Innes MACTOTSS ee ee eee | of the finest decorated optics ever seen in the State, and as he gazed at them in the mirror he said things and thought things that the laws of the land forbid printing. Hesent for Hammond, the manager, to come to his room. ‘“‘Great Scott!’ exclaimed the manager, as he en- tered. ‘* What have you run up against, Frank ?” “Oh, I had a little set-to last night with Fear- not.”’ ‘“*You don’t mean to tell me that Fearnot bunged you up that way, do you?” “Yes; I slapped his face for a bit of impudence and he came at me like acyclone. Of course we both can’t stay in the company. You must take your choice between him and me.’’ ‘Now, look here, Frank,” said the manager, ‘‘ I’ve given you steady work and good pay, so £ don’t think you have any right whatever to make your quarrel with any other member of the company interfere in any way with my business. If you want to resign from the company, you can do so; but I will not dis- miss either one of you. If you resign, you’ll have the reputation of being thrashed out of the company by a newcomer, which will make you sick every time you appear on the Rialto in New York. Is Fearnot’s face in the same condition as yours ?”’ “No. LIcouldn’t touch him.’’ Hammond whistled. “You ran up against a snag, Frank, and the best thing you can do is to make friends with Fearnot, tell him you bear him no ill will, and acknowledge that ; he is a better man than you are with his fists.”’ “Oh, I had to acknowledge that last night; so there’s no need of my doing so the second time. But how about the double role ?”’ “Well, Pll tell you what I’ll do,’’? said Hammond. “lll pay you both salaries until I can get some one else to take the other one, provided that you keep on good terms with Fearnot, so as not to damage the business of the company.’’ * All right,’’ replied Gale, mollified by the promise of an addition to his salary, for he was a sordid kind of a fellow. ‘* Willyou ask Mrs. Hammond for some of the paints and cosmetics that the girls use, so I can hang a curtain over these optics of mine ?” ““Yes,’’ laughed Hammond, ‘I'll bring them into you.”’ And with that the manager returned to his room, where he explained the situation to his wife, and got the paints and cosmetics, which he carried back to Gale’s quarters. That done, he called on Fred and Terry, who were downstairs with some of the other actors. He was looking fresh as a morning glory. “See here, Fearnot,’’ he said, laughing, “for Heaven’s sake don’t go into the decoration business bs e § while a member of this company. Gale isa sight to — see this morning, but he says it was his fault and that he bears you no ill will.’’ ‘‘The deuce he does !’’ exclaimed Fred. ‘“He’sq better man than I thought he was. He slapped my face last night, and that was something that I “BANDSOME HARRY.” Comichooksscom