Work and Win #07: Fred Fearnot as Actor — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

2 FRED FEARNOT a AS AN ACTOR. . ' ‘Yep,’ laughed Terry, and Fred started up the song. At the first note every thespian turned and looked at them. Terry had an excellent tenor voice, but Fred’s baritone was simply splendid. The strains of the grand old air filled the entire car, and when they reached the chorus, or refrain, which was the last two lines of the verse, the company joined in with great zest, and when it was finished handclapping followed. ‘Say, what’s the matter with those kids ?”’ sang out the tall, black-eyed actor who sat facing the two chemical blondes. ‘© Oh, they’re all right !’’ chorused the entire com- pany. Fred and Terry started on the second verse, and went through it ina manner that charmed all in the car, and when they had finished it the others joined in the refrain a second time, after which the tall fel- low sprang up from his seat, went over and extended his hand to the two boys, saying: “Shake! You’re all right !’’ “Of course we are!’’ laughed Fred, as he grasped his hand. ‘‘ Whosaid we were not ?”’ «* Are you in the perfesh ?”’ the actor asked. ‘Well, we used to be,’’ answered Fred. ‘‘ We once belonged to the Grand Opera of Timbuctoo and afterwards to the Royal Opera of the King of Ash- antee.”’ “Good! good!” laughed the actor, who saw at once that Fred was guying him. ‘I played before that same king once myself, but because I hugged one of his ten thousand wives one day I had to skip out, leaving my salary behind me.,’’ “‘Great Scott !’? laughed Fred. ‘‘I had the same experience myself, and he sent a regiment in pursuit of me; but as every soldier in it was an Amazon, they sang and danced with me when they caught: me, told me I was fetich and that they wouldn’t do a thing to me. And they didn’t.”’ By that time the two blonde actresses had joined the actor, and soon the entire company had _ sur- rounded Fred and Terry, laughing and shaking hands with them. ““Say,’’ said the manager, after listening to Fred’s bantering for awhile, ‘“‘do you really belong to the profession ?”’ ** Haven’t you eyes and ears ?”’ Fred asked. ‘“Yes, I believe I have. But there are so many slick fellows on the road now-a-days, it is difficult to tell the genuine from the spurious.”’ “Well, if you can’t separate the sheep from the goats you'd better get out of the business,”’ laughed Fred, ‘for you’ll lose your eyebrows before you get to the next station,’’ whereupon the entire company had the laugh on their manager, who was forced to join in the hilarity himself. ““Where are you fellows going ?”’ he finally asked. ““We’re going West, I believe, or else I’m on the wrong train.” ‘‘Going out to fill an engagement ?”’ “HANDSOME HARRY.” PS SSE LS SIE ES SRN CIS SR SAB ARV NRT Ny i SE SD SST IOI SU have managed to keep ahead ever since. ‘‘No; we’re on a business trip this time, which will take us on the other side of the Mississippi.”’ | ‘By George!’’ exclaimed: the tall actor, “our route takes us all the way out to Iowa.” «“The deuce it does! That’s just where we’re go- ing.”’ | “But we stop in Ohio at one night stands, for a week,’’ remarked the manager. ‘‘ Wish we could stop with you,” said Fred, “for ra you all seem to be a jolly crowd.”’ ‘*Give us your name,”’ said one of the company, whereupon both Fred and Terry gave them their in- dividual cards. | ‘Fred Fearnot,”’ said the manager, as if trying to — recall the name, as he looked at the card; ‘‘ seems to | me I’ve heard the name before.”’ i | “‘Tt’s a very good name,’’ remarked Fred. ‘I’ve | had it pretty much all my life; and as for Terry, here, I believe he was named before he was born.” ~~ One of the actors, who was a cynical kind of a fel- | low, much given to saying sarcastic things, and was — really quite a wit, remarked : a} “* You both seem to be pretty old for your age.” | ‘Oh, yes,’”’ replied Fred. ‘Lam a good deal older — than my father. As for my mother, she is a very . young thing yet ;’’ whereupon the girls all screamed ~ with laughter, and the cynical thespian was a bit rat- tled : . ‘* How long have you been on the stage ?”’ the lat- ter asked. | ‘‘Bless you, my dear fellow,’? answered Fred, ‘‘ever since we were born.”’ . ‘Oh! Born behind the footlights, eh ?’’ ‘“No. Iwas born in front of the headlights, and thunder are you bringing up the rear of the procession for ?”’ That settled Mr. Cynic, who immediately returned to the grip, took out the black bottle, and turned the bottom of it up towards the roof of the car. a ““What’s the matter with him?’ Terry asked. ‘‘He pours that stuff down his throat instead of drinking it.’’ ; “Oh, that’s his inspiration,’ laughed one of the® / girls. ‘He says there’s more inspiration in a bottle of rye than in a whole volume of Shakespeare.” **Is that why he makesa wry face while taking it 2?77 | Fred asked, with a very innocent expression as he watched the thespian emptying the bottle. y Say,” said one of the others, “ won’t you two have a pull at it ?”’ ‘* Not on your life,’? answered Fred. “Why not? Don’t you drink 2?” “Oh, yes; every time I get thirsty.” “Well, what do you take then ?”’ | Sy, “Why, a liquid, of course. You don’t think Pa swallow solid substance to quench my thirst, do you 2” In a little while the tremendous pull the cynic had made on the bottle of rye began to take effect. He became extremely boisterous and finally mounted one of the seats and Pesan spoutine + crpay OOS com ean | . oe | 0