Work and Win #07: Fred Fearnot as Actor — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

m, you. money to save her from being put out on the streets chatting like a lot of school children. by the landlord. She went to the manager and asked | of the omnibus Fred assisted Gussie to alight, and for a week’s salary in advance, and he refused to let ‘she said to him: her have it.”’ «Great Scott !’? exclaimed Fred. troubling her ?”’ «Yes, that and nothing more, except the illness of her mother.”’ . §*Well, now, she shall have the money if it takes the last dollar I have,’’? and with that he drew a roll of bills from his pocket, counted out fifty dollars, which he gave to Nellie, saying: «¢« Just slip over there to her now, and give that to her, and tell her not to Ue about repaying it until times are better with her.’ ‘«‘Oh, my,’ said Nellie, ‘this is two and a half ~ times her weekly salary.” ««That makes no difference. Go and give it to her and let the sunshine come back into her heart. T’m able to stand it.”’ The blonde arose from her seat and went over and sat down by the side of Gussie, put an arm around her neck, and said in a low tone of voice: -« Gussie, Fred asked me what made you look so ‘““Ts that what’s sad, and I told him about your sick mother and Mr. Hammond’s refusal to advance any of your salary to He quietly placed fifty dollars in my hand and told me to give it to you and say that you were not to bother about repaying it until times were better,’’ and with that she slipped the money into Gussie’s hand, who took it, stuck it into her pocket, and then without uttering a word burst into tears. The other girls sprang up from their seat and went over to see what she was crying about. *¢Oh, she’s worrying about her mother,’’ explained Nellie, not willing to tell all the facts. Of course they were all sympathetic, and not a few of the actors passed some very severe comments on the hard-hearted manager. It should be said for Ham- mond, however, that he had always been just in his dealings with them, paid their salaries regularly, but flatly refused to pay out a dollar for service that had not been rendered. He had paid dearly for his les- sons at the beginning of his career as a manager to the tune of thousands of dollars, until he finally swore a great, round oath that he would never again ad- vance money on salaries. By and by Gussie finished her crying, wiped away her tears, and was seen to smile again. It was, per- haps, the first smile that had appeared in her face within three days, and when Fred saw it he thought that it was worth every cent of the fifty dollars to him. <‘She’s a good little girl,’’ said he to himself, ‘‘and as long as I am with the company, I’m going to see that she has a good time.”’ CHAPTER VIII. THE FIRE IN THE THEATER, WHEN they reached the next town the whole com- ‘‘T thank you more than I can say.”’ «‘That’s all right, Gussie, I had the money to spare and have got some left yet. I’ve been watching you. You’re a good little girl, and must remember that. you’ve got a brother in this company.”’ None of the rest of them heard what he said, and ten minutes later Gussie was in the telegraph offices wiring the money to her mother—every cent of what Fred had loaned her, keeping nothing for herself. An hour or two later Nellie told Fred about it. “Great Scott !’? he exclaimed. anything for herself ?”’ “*Not a penny, and spent the last dollar she had for sending the dispatch.’ ~She’s an angel,’’ said Fred, ‘‘a treasure to her mother,’’ and he drew a ten-dollar bill from his pocket and asked Nellie to give it to her. ‘‘If she refuses to take it,’’ said he, ‘‘tell her she must, and that she can return it when she is paid off.”’ “You must have a lot of money,”’ laughed Nellie. *©Oh, I haven’t any to burn, but what I have ’m willing to share with a friend in distress.”’ Gussie didn’t wish to take the money, and Nellie had to almost force her to accept it, as a loan. That night Fred thought Gussie acted better than he had ever seen her do before, and he was so atten- tive to her behind the scenes, that the blonde beauty, >| a bit jealous, several times twitted him about it. “Oh, that’s all right,’? he laughed. ‘‘ Don’t you worry. , L expect to be challenged to a duel on your account inside of a week.” ‘“Say, Fearnot,’’ called out Hammond, interrupt- ing him as he was talking to Nellie, ‘‘ we are billed to Minneapolis for a week, and during our stay there we have to give eight performances, presenting four different plays. You’ll have to do some pretty hard studying to be ready for it. We reach there in an- other week, and if you’ll come up to my room I will give you the roles you are to fill.”’ “‘ All right, sir. Excuse me, Miss Nellie,’’. and he turned away and followed the manager up to his room. : There he was told that in one of the plays he was to take the leading part, and that Nellie Traynor and Elsie Warner the two important female characters. ‘**So you three must do your rehearsing in the af- ternoon of each day.”’ “All right,’ said Fred, ‘‘I’ll do my best; but ci I told you before I’ve had no experience as sit actor.’ “Oh, go ahead. I’ll give you all the latitude you want. Ring in anything you please, so you don’t spoil it.”’ He took the manuscripts to his room and looked over them very carefully, and found that in one of the plays he was to make violent love to the heroine of the play, Nellie Traynor, Frank Gale had probably played the role fifty times pany crowded into the hotel omnibus, laughing and | with her, and naturally expected to ed it again, “HANDSOME HARRY.” oO com In getting out. 4 ‘‘Didn’t she keep — ¥