Work and Win #07: Fred Fearnot as Actor — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

tn . aE _ ize the lines and get up costumes appropriate to the -eharacter he was to play. Being gifted with a splen- aid memory, he soon mastered the lines, but found he had to wait a day longer than agreed upon on ac- count of the costumes. | Much to his surpise he saw that Gale, who was no longer to receive a double ’ salary for playing two roles, was very much dis- eruntled, and like the other actor, disposed to blame him for it. ‘ Determined that he should not be misunderstood, he went to Gale and told him how Hammond had asked him to take the character in the play, and that he had tried to {refuse, but the manager would not listen to it. **T don’t want youto think that Ihave tried to pro- ject myself into the play atall, for Ihave not. Idon’t care two cents for the salary, for,I don’t need it.” «The deuce you don’t!’ exclaimed Gale. ‘‘ Got inoney to burn, have you ?”’ “Oh, no; only fools burn money. Wise men take care of it.” Gale went on playing the double role for three aights longer, by which time Fred was ready to take part in the play. He was to appear four different times during the performance, in one of which he was to rush upon the stage and rescue the patriot girl from the British officer, who attempted to seize her and bear her away to his camp, after having in- veigled her into, an appointment to meet him and hear from her lover, who was still a prisoner. The interview between the British officer and the patriot girl was a fine scene, and the audience was held spellbound by her tearful pleadings and the con- summate villainy of the Briton. Ata most thrilling part of the scene, when the officer told her he intend- ed to take her to his camp, she sought to escape him. He chased her clear across the stage, fear apparently lending wings to herfeet. She was caught, however, and as the Briton seized the unwilling girl’s wrist and attempted to grasp her waist, Fred dashed out upon the stage, rifle in hand, amid a perfect hurricane of applause. He raised the rifle to his shoulder, aimed at the officer, and hissed out : ‘¢ Hands off, or I’ll fire !”’ The astounded Briton released his grasp of the girl’s wrist and recoiled before the threatening muz- zie of the rifle. The girl went up to Fred, and he caught her around the waist with his left hand, still presenting the rifle menacingly. The officer gave a shrill blast on a whistle and the sound of rushing feet was heard. The next moment a file of British soldiers were seen coming at a double-quick. The girl cried out: «We are lost! ~ coming !”’ The next moment Fred fired and one of the soldiers staggered forward and fell full length on the stage, whilst he lifted the girl in his arms, bearing her away out of sight, through a forest scene. Naturally the act evoked a perfect storm of pa- We are lost! The soldiers are and bearing her off was quite different from the way it had been played before. With his predecessor, the patriotic girl made her own escape, leaving the spy to hold the soldiers at bay. She was not even aware that Fred intended to bear her off, for when they got behind the scene, she laughed and said : ‘Why, how strong you are. me you were going to do that ?” ; ‘«‘Didn’t know it myself,”’ he laughed, ‘until 1 got my arm around your waist, and then I couldn’t resist the temptation. You don’t object to it, do you rag) ‘Oh, no, as long as you don’t squeeze me too hard, ‘No danger of that,’? he laughed, ‘‘ for I don’t think Ihave strength enough for that. A girl will stand more squeezing than a lemon.”’ “Say, Fearnot,’’ said Hammond, coming up to him, “you did that splendidly, and it’s a good idea to bear the girl off, instead of letting her take to her heels.”’ ‘«That’s what I thought, sir,’’ he laughed. ‘‘You find her a pretty hefty girl, though, don’t you ?”’ asked the cynic. ‘‘Oh, yes; she’s a whole barrel of sugar, but Vd. lift her if she weighed a ton.” His first appearance as an actor was a decided hit, and his songs with Terry were even better ; for the audience rose at them and almost raised the roof with their cheering. ‘Now, Miss Nellie,’’ he said to the patriot girl, on their way back to the hotel, ‘‘I’ve got a couple of songs for you to sing with us, after a few more ap- pearances, which will help out things wonderfully,”’ and he gave her the names of the songs, one of which she was familiar with, but the other was new to her. The next day Terry called Fred’s attention to the little brunette of the company, Gussie Silvers, saying that he believed she was in a good deal of trouble. ‘«* What’s the matter with her?’’ Fred asked. ‘Hanged if 1 know; but I’ve caught her crying two or three times in the last day or two.” <The deuce you have! I thought I did too, once; but wasn’t sure of it. She’s a very quiet kind ofa girl and doesn’t join in with the fun, hke the others do. IfI get achance lintend to ask her what the trouble is.”’ ‘*VYou’d better not,’’ said Terry. through some of the other girls.” «‘T cuess you’re right. I'll ask Nellie Traynor.” As soon as they were on the train to the next town, Fred noticed that Gussie had a seat to herself, where she sat and gazed out of the window, with a sad, far away look in her eye. «See here, Miss Nellie,’’ he said to the blonde, who was seated by his side, ‘‘what’s the matter with Gussie 2? I notice that she is sad all the time.”’ «‘Oh, we’re all so sorry for her,”’ replied Neltie. ‘© Her mother is sick in New York and she has to send her every cent of her salary, and two days ago she Why didn’t you tell “Try to find out triotic enthusiasm. His lifting the girl in his arms | received a letter from her mother, asking for more “HANDSOME HARRY.” ‘ Conmiclooo SoCOUM :