Work and Win #07: Fred Fearnot as Actor — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

22 FRED FEARNOT AS AN ACTOR. them when the howling of the wolves interrupted them. She clung to Fred as though in a panic of fear, and the three listened till a couple of the wolves got into a fierce fight apparently a hundred yards away back in the woods. The fight lasted nearly five min- utes, during which the snaps, snarls and fierce howl- ing of the wolves produced sounds that were simply indescribable. The faces of many women in the audience blanched and they held their breath as though in an agony of suspense. ‘Great Scott!’? whispered Manager Hammond to his wife behind the scenes, ‘‘ that boy is a whole show in himself. He puproyes on that i eslawpee scene every time he goes on.’ ““Yes,’’ replied his wife, ‘‘and it’s well to let him have his own way about it, too.”’ “Oh, I’m not going to interfere with him at all, but I’m afraid he’ll be running the whole show inside of a fortnight, yet as long as he fills the house | won’t kick.”’ When the curtain dropped on the scene at the old well the manager congratulated Fred on the success of it. «Thank you,’’ returned Fred; ‘“‘there’s nothing like making the blood of the audience tingle.”’ The next day Fred took Gale aside and suggested to him that he come into the scene again, after leav- ing the old well by backing clear across the stage, through the woods, where he could be seen by the audience from his waist up, with his drawn sword cutting and slashing at a pack of wolves that had attacked him, making about a three minutes’ flght of it. “By George, Fearnot!’’ exclaimed the actor, ‘that would be a tremendous hit; but I’ve only got three more days to stay with the company, you know.”’ _ Yes, I was thinking about that,”’ returned Fred, ‘*and the reason why I wanted you to do it is to give me a chance to suggest to the manager that he recall that note and keep you with us.” «Do you really mean that,- Fearnot ?’’? Gale asked, very much surprised. ““Yes, Gale, Ido. I wanted to prove to you that ‘I bear you no ill will at all, and I’m satisfied that after you know me a little better, we can get along splendidly together.’’ “‘Well, I’m glad you’ve said that.’’ ‘Well, there’s another thing I want to say to you, Gale, and that is that I have noticed that you are a little bit jealous of me, on account of Miss Traynor. I want to tell you that you have no grounds in the world for being so, for she is not the kind of a girl that I can fall in love with. She’s all right, in every sense of the word, and I mean no disparagement of her whatever, only she’s just simply not the kind of a girl who could reach my heart. This I say to you confidentially.”’ ** All right, old man ;’’ and shook it warmly. and Gale grasped his hand “I frankly confess to a weak- | and it ought to run for a com 6 7A arnanweyn Tr A TD ness in that quarter, for we’ve been playing together nearly a year.”’ At the next town where they played they ran into a snowstorm, and the house was not as full as it would have been otherwise. Yet, there were not many vacant seats. Those who were present, however, were wildly enthusiastic over the play. ‘The scene at the old well, where the British officer had a meeting with the patriotic girl, by appointment, in the moon- light, was the most vivid one that had ever been seen on that stage. The girl and the officer had separated and Fred and Terry went on, creeping around, star- ing here and there, to see if the coast was clear, and then drew up a bucket of water to quench their thirst, and all the time they were looking around, the hoot- ing of owls was heard, and occasionally the cry of a whippoorwill. Then they sang the first verse of the old song, after ~ which the girl joined them, crying out, as she rushed up, that she had seen wolves in the woods, and was afraid to go home. \ «We'll see you home,’’ said Fred, and again they began to sing, with the girl’s voice chiming in with them, wolf back in the woods, which caused the girl to shudder and move up closer to Fred. The song went on, though frequently interrupted by the wolves. Then they stopped to listen to the fierce fight going on in the woods, as though they were attacking each other or somebody. Suddenly the tall form of the British officer was seen backing across through the woods, cutting, slashing and thrusting with his sword in the bushes. the fierce snapping of the wolves actually made the hair stand on end on many a head in the audience, — Men and women stood up on their feet, gazing and | listening with blanched faces. When he was half way across the stage, the patriot girl was seen gaz- ing at him, with her hands clasped before her, and © | eyes bulging almost from their sockets. Yet she uttered not a word, for the life of her lover was at stake. saved. Everybody in the audience seemed to understand Then came the long, bloodcurdling howl of a The gleam of the bright saber was | seen flashing here and there in the moonlight, while _ ha Sth % If the wolves killed the officer he would be e what was naturally passing through the mind of the “ patriot girl as she gazed at the wolves, who were ac- tually fighting her battle. Finally the Briton backed clear across the stage, through the woods, and dis- appeared, but the fight continued some two or three minutes longer, during which time the sounds grew fainter and fainter, as though the Briton had re- treated faster, until at last they died away in the dis- tance, after which Fred turned, caught the girl around her waist, saying: + ‘¢ Now, we'll see you home.”’ When the curtain rang down on the scene, Ham-- mond was in a fever of delightful excitement. grasped Fred’s hand, exclaiming : “That scene is the main feature of ba whol play; He eo