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diff --git a/36964.txt b/36964.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5a4a09a --- /dev/null +++ b/36964.txt @@ -0,0 +1,6171 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Motion Picture Chums at Seaside Park, by +Victor Appleton + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Motion Picture Chums at Seaside Park + The Rival Photo Theatres of the Boardwalk + +Author: Victor Appleton + +Release Date: August 3, 2011 [EBook #36964] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MOTION PICTURE CHUMS *** + + + + +Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + +[Illustration: PIECES OF THE BROKEN SKYLIGHT IN THE ROOF OF THE +PLAYHOUSE CLATTERED DOWN.] + + + + + The + Motion Picture Chums + at Seaside Park + + OR + The Rival Photo Theatres of the Boardwalk + + BY + VICTOR APPLETON + + AUTHOR OF "THE MOTION PICTURE CHUMS' FIRST VENTURE," + "THE MOVING PICTURE BOYS SERIES," + "TOM SWIFT SERIES," ETC. + + ILLUSTRATED + + NEW YORK + GROSSET & DUNLAP + PUBLISHERS + + + + + BOOKS BY VICTOR APPLETON + + THE MOTION PICTURE CHUMS SERIES + _12 mo. Cloth. Illustrated._ + _Price, per volume, 40 cents, postpaid._ + + THE MOTION PICTURE CHUMS' FIRST VENTURE + THE MOTION PICTURE CHUMS AT SEASIDE PARK + + (_Other volumes in preparation_) + + THE MOVING PICTURE BOYS SERIES + _12 mo. Cloth. Illustrated._ + _Price, per volume, 40 cents, postpaid._ + + THE MOVING PICTURE BOYS + THE MOVING PICTURE BOYS IN THE WEST + THE MOVING PICTURE BOYS ON THE COAST + THE MOVING PICTURE BOYS IN THE JUNGLE + THE MOVING PICTURE BOYS IN EARTHQUAKE LAND + + (_Other volumes in preparation_) + + THE TOM SWIFT SERIES + _12 mo. Cloth. Illustrated._ + _Price, per volume, 40 cents, postpaid._ + + TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR CYCLE + TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR BOAT + TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIRSHIP + TOM SWIFT AND HIS SUBMARINE BOAT + TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RUNABOUT + TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RIFLE + TOM SWIFT AND HIS SKY RACER + TOM SWIFT IN THE CAVES OF ICE + TOM SWIFT AMONG THE DIAMOND MAKERS + TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIRELESS MESSAGE + TOM SWIFT IN THE CITY OF GOLD + TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER + TOM SWIFT IN CAPTIVITY + TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA + TOM SWIFT AND HIS GREAT SEARCHLIGHT + TOM SWIFT AND HIS GIANT CANNON + + GROSSET & DUNLAP + PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK + + Copyright, 1913, BY + GROSSET & DUNLAP + + _The Motion Picture Chums at Seaside Park_ + + + + + CONTENTS + + CHAPTER PAGE + I Looking for Business 1 + II The Motor Boat 9 + III Short of Funds 18 + IV An Old Friend 28 + V The Bird House 38 + VI A Friend in Need 48 + VII Business Boys 57 + VIII Kidnapped 66 + IX Pep in Clover 75 + X The Press Agent 87 + XI Crossed Wires 96 + XII Business Rivals 104 + XIII All Ready! 112 + XIV "The Great Unknown" 119 + XV The Speaking Picture 126 + XVI A Grand Success 133 + XVII Boastful Peter 141 + XVIII The Great Film 149 + XIX Getting Along 157 + XX A Rich Find 165 + XXI The Tin Box 174 + XXII A Big Reward 185 + XXIII The Broken Sign 193 + XXIV The Great Storm 201 + XXV Conclusion 209 + + + + +THE MOTION PICTURE CHUMS AT SEASIDE PARK + + + + +CHAPTER I--LOOKING FOR BUSINESS + + +"Boys, this is just the spot we are looking for!" + +"Yes, I am sure a good photo playhouse on this boardwalk would pay." + +It was Frank Durham who made the first declaration and his chum and +young partner, Randy Powell, who echoed it. Both looked like lads in +business earnestly looking for something they wanted, and determined to +find it. Then the third member of the little group glanced where his +companions were gazing. He was Pepperill Smith, and he burst forth in +his enthusiastic way: + +"The very thing!" + +The three chums had arrived at Seaside Park only that morning. Their +home was at Fairlands, one hundred and fifty miles west. Everything was +new to them and there was certainly enough variety, excitement and +commotion to satisfy any lively lad. They had, however, come for +something else than pleasure. They had a distinct purpose in view, and +Frank's remarks brought it up. + +Seaside Park was a very popular ocean resort. It was a trim little town +with a normal population of less than three thousand souls. In the +summer season, however, it provided for over ten times that number. A +substantial boardwalk fronted the beach where people bathed, lined with +stores, booths, and curio and souvenir tents. There were several +restaurants for the convenience of those who had run down from the big +cities to take a day's enjoyment and did not care to stay at the +pretentious hotels. + +The three friends had made for this part of the resort as soon as they +had arrived. As they had strolled down the boardwalk Frank had +studiously observed the general layout and the points where the +pleasure-seekers most congregated. Randy was quite as much interested in +peering in at the windows of the few buildings bearing "To Rent" signs. +Pep made a deliberate stop wherever a show place attracted his +attention. Now all three had halted in front of an unoccupied building +and were looking it over critically. + +"I say, fellows," observed Frank, "this is worth looking into." + +"It's certainly a fine location," added Randy. + +"Just made for us," piped the exuberant Pep. + +The building was frame and one story in height. It was of ample breadth, +and as the brisk and busy Pep squinted down its side he declared it was +over one hundred feet long. Randy went up to the chalked-over windows, +while Frank took out a card and copied the name and address of the owner +given on the rent sign. + +"Hi, this way!" suddenly hailed the active Pep. "The door isn't locked." + +"That's great," spoke Randy. "I want to see what the inside looks like." + +"Hello, there!" called out a man's voice as they stepped over the +threshold of the broad double doorway. + +"Hello yourself, mister," retorted Pep cheerily, "we were sort of +interested in the place and wanted to look it over." + +Frank stepped forward. The man who had challenged them was in his shirt +sleeves, working at a plank over two wooden horses mending some wire +screens. + +"We are looking over the beach with the idea of finding a good location +for a show," Frank explained. + +"What kind of a show?" inquired the man, studying the trio sharply. + +"Motion picture." + +"Well, you've come to the right place, I can tell you that," declared +the man, showing more interest and putting aside the screen he was +mending. "Pretty young, though, for business on your own hook; aren't +you?" + +"Oh, we're regular business men, we are," vaunted Pep. "This is Frank +Durham, and this is Randolph Powell. The three of us ran a photo +playhouse in Fairlands for six months, so we know the business." + +"Is that so?" observed the man musingly. "Well, I'm the owner of the +building here and as you see, want to find a good tenant for the season. +I'm mending up the screens to those ventilating windows. I'm going to +redecorate it inside and out, and the place is right in the center of +the busiest part of the beach." + +"What was it used for before?" inquired Frank. + +"Bowling alley, once. Then a man tried an ice cream parlor, but there +was too much competition. Last season a man put in a penny arcade, but +that caught only the cheap trade and not much of that." + +Frank walked to the end of the long room and looked over the lighting +equipment, the floor and the ceiling. Then he nodded to Randy and Pep, +who joined him at a window, as if looking casually over the surroundings +of the vacant place. + +"See here, fellows," Frank said, "it looks as though we had stumbled +upon a fine opportunity." + +"Splendid!" voiced Randy. + +"It strikes me just right," approved Pep. "What a dandy place we can +make of it, with all this space! Why, we'll put three rows of seats, the +middle one double. There's all kinds of space on the walls for posters. +I'll have to get an assistant usher and----" + +"Hold on, Pep!" laughed Frank. "Aren't you going pretty fast? The rent +may be 'way out of our reach. You know we are not exactly millionaires, +and our limited capital may not come anywhere near covering things." + +"Find out what the rent is; won't you, Frank?" pressed Randy. + +"There's no harm in that," replied Frank. + +He went up to the owner of the place while Randy and Pep strolled +outside. They walked around the building twice, studying it in every +particular. Randy looked eager and Pep excited as Frank came out on the +sidewalk. They could tell from the pleased look on his face that he was +the bearer of good news. + +"What is it, Frank?" queried Randy, anxiously. + +"The rent isn't half what I expected it to be." + +"Good!" cried Pep. + +"But it's high enough to consider in a careful way. Then again the owner +of the building insists that nothing but a strictly first-class show +will draw patronage at Seaside Park. The people who come here are +generally of a superior type and the transients come from large places +where they have seen the best going in the way of photo plays. It's +going to cost a lot of money to start a playhouse here, and we can't +decide in a moment." + +"How many other motion picture shows are there in Seaside Park, Frank?" +inquired Pep. + +"None." + +Both Randy and Pep were surprised at this statement and told Frank so. + +"The movies tried it out in connection with a restaurant last season, +but made a fizzle of it, the man in there tells me," reported Frank. "He +says there may be a show put in later in the season--you see we are +pretty early on the scene and the summer rush has not come yet. In fact, +he hinted that some New York fellows were down here last week looking +over the prospects in our line. I've told him just how we are situated, +and I think he has taken quite a liking to us and would like to +encourage us if it didn't cost him anything. He says he will give us +until Monday to figure up and decide what we want to do. There's one +thing, though--we will have to put up the rent for the place for the +whole season." + +"What--in advance?" exclaimed Randy. + +"Yes--four months. It seems that one or two former tenants left their +landlord in the lurch and he won't take any more risks. Cash or the +guarantee of some responsible person is the way this man, Mr. Morton, +puts in." + +"Humph!" commented Pep. "Why doesn't he make us buy the place and be +done with it?" + +"Well, if we start in we're going to stick; aren't we?" propounded +Randy. "So it's simply a question of raising enough money." + +"Mr. Morton says that along Beach Row there is nothing in the way of +first-class amusements," Frank went on. "There's a merry-go-round and a +summer garden with a band and some few cheap side shows." + +"Then we would have the field all to ourselves," submitted Randy. + +"Unless a business rival came along, which he won't, unless we are +making money, so the more the merrier," declared Frank, briskly. "We'll +talk the whole business over this evening, fellows. In the meantime +we'll take in the many sights and post ourselves on the prospects." + +"I do hope we'll be able to get that place," said Pep, longingly. "What +a fine view we have! I'd never get tired of being in sight of the sea +and all this gay excitement around us." + +The chums left the boardwalk and went across the sands, watching the +merry crowds playing on the beach and running out into the water. Big +and little, old and young, seemed to be full of fun and excitement. +Early in the season as it was, there were a number of bathers. + +"That would make a fine motion picture; eh?" suggested Randy, his mind +always on business. + +"Yes, and so would that!" shouted Pep. "Jumping crickets! Fellows--look!" + +There had sounded a sharp explosion. At a certain spot a great cascade +of water like the spouting of a whale went up into the air. A hiss of +steam focussed in a whirling, swaying mass at one point. There was the +echo of yells and screams. + +"What's happened, I wonder----" began Randy. + +"I saw it!" interrupted an excited bather, who had ran out of the water. +"A motor boat has blown up!" + +"Then those on board must be in danger of burning or drowning, boys," +shouted Frank. "To the rescue!" + + + + +CHAPTER II--THE MOTOR BOAT + + +Frank Durham was just as practical as he was heroic. While the +frightened people in the water were rushing up the beach in a panic, and +strollers along the sands stared helplessly toward the scene of the +accident, Frank's quick eye took in the situation--and in a flash he +acted. + +There was a reason why he was so ready-witted. In the first place he--and +also Randy and Pep--had for an entire season been in actual service at +the outing resort near their home town of Fairlands. It had been an +experience that fitted them for just such a crisis as the present one. +Boating on the lake had been the principal diversion of the guests. +There had been more than one tip-over in which Frank and his chums had +come to the rescue. + +In fact, while the boys had regular duties, such as acting as caddies +for golfers, as guides and chauffeurs, the proprietor of the resort +expected them to keep an eye out at all times for mishaps to his guests. +This had trained the chums in a line where common sense, speedy action, +and knowing how to do just the right thing at just the right time, would +be useful in safe-guarding property and human life. + +Frank did not have to tell his companions what to do. They knew their +duty and how far they could be useful, as well as their leader. The +motor boat was about a quarter of a mile out and was on fire. They could +see the flames belching out at the stern. There seemed to be three or +four persons aboard. As far as they could make it out at the distance +they were, one of the passengers had sprung overboard and was floating +around on a box or plank. The others were crowded together at the bow, +trying to keep away from the flames. + +Randy had dashed down the beach to where there was a light rowboat +overturned on the sand. Pep was making for a long pier running out quite +a distance, pulling off his coat as he went. Frank had his eyes fixed +upon a small electric launch lying near the pier. He did not know nor +notice what course his chums had taken. He realized that if help came to +the people in peril on the motor boat it must come speedily to be of any +avail. + +It took Frank less than three minutes to reach the spot where a light +cable held the launch against the pier. A rather fine-looking old man +stood nearby, glancing through his gold-rimmed eyeglasses toward the +beach, as if impatient of something. + +"Mister," shot out Frank, breathlessly, "is this your craft?" + +"It is," replied the gentleman. "I am waiting for my man to come and run +me down to Rock Point." + +"Did you see that?" inquired Frank, rapidly, pointing to the burning +motor boat. + +"Why, I declare--I hadn't!" exclaimed the man, taking a survey of the +point in the distance indicated by Frank. "What can have happened?" + +"An explosion, sir," explained Frank. "You see, they must have help." + +"Where is that laggard man of mine?" cried the owner of the launch, +growing excited. "If he would come we might do something." + +"Let me take your launch," pressed Frank, eagerly. + +"Do you know how to run it?" + +"Oh, yes, sir." + +"I don't. Do your best, lad. You must hurry. The boat is burning +fiercely." + +It only needed the word of assent to start Frank on his mission of +rescue. There had never been a better engineer on the lake near +Fairlands than our hero. He was so perfectly at home with a launch that +the owner of the one he had immediately sprung into could not repress a +"Bravo!" as Frank seemed to slip the painter, spring to the wheel and +send the craft plowing the water like a fish, all with one and the same +deft movement. + +Frank estimated time and distance and set the launch on a swift, +diagonal course. He made out a rowboat headed in the same direction as +himself, and Randy was in it. Frank saw a flying form leave the end of +the long pier in a bold dive. It was Pep. Frank could not deviate or +linger, for the nearer he got to the blazing craft the more vital seemed +the peril of those now nearly crowded overboard by the heat and smoke. +Besides that, he knew perfectly well that the crack swimmer of +Fairlands, his friend Pep, could take care of himself in the water. + +It was because the three chums were always together and always on the +alert that nothing missed them. Some pretty creditable things had been +done by them and that training came to their help in the present crisis. + +In the first volume of the present series, entitled "The Motion Picture +Chums' First Venture; Or, Opening a Photo Playhouse in Fairlands," their +adventures and experiences have been given in a way that showed the +courage and enterprise that infused them. Frank Durham was the elder of +the trio, and it was he who had started a partnership that soon outgrew +odd chores about Fairlands and making themselves handy around the lake +during the outing season. + +Early in the Fall preceding, after a great deal of thinking, planning +and actual hard work, Frank, Randy and Pep had become proprietors of a +motion picture show at Fairlands. It had been no play-day spurt, but a +practical business effort. They had worked hard for nearly a year, had +saved up quite a sum, and learning of the auction sale of a photo +playhouse outfit in the city, they had bid it in and started the +"Wonderland" in the busy little town where they lived. + +In this they had been greatly helped by a good-hearted, impulsive fellow +named Ben Jolly. The latter was in love with the novel enterprise, liked +the boys, and played the piano. Another of his kind who was a +professional ventriloquist, had plied his art for the benefit of the +motion picture show, delaying the auction sale with mock bids until +Frank arrived in time to buy the city outfit. + +They had enemies, too, and the son of a Fairlands magnate named Greg +Grayson had caused them a good deal of trouble and had tried to break up +their show. Perseverance, hard work and brains, however, carried the +motion picture chums through. They exhibited none but high-grade films, +they ran an orderly place, and with Frank at the projector, Randy in the +ticket booth, Pep as the genial usher and Ben Jolly as pianist, they had +crowded houses and wound up at the end of the season out of debt and +with a small cash capital all their own. + +For all the busy Winter, warm weather hurt the photo playhouse at +Fairlands. It had been a debated question with the chums for some weeks +as to shutting down for the summer months. They finally decided to +"close for repairs" for a spell and look around for a new location until +fall. Seaside Park was suggested as an ideal place for a first-class +motion picture show, and so far prospects looked very encouraging, +indeed. + +Right in the midst of their business deliberations the incident just +related had now come up. All three of the boys had answered the call of +humanity without an instant's hesitation. + +Frank forgot everything except the business in hand as he set eyes, mind +and nerve upon reaching the burning motor boat in time to be of some +practical service. He was near enough now to pretty well grasp the +situation. The launch had been going at a high rate of speed, but the +expert young engineer set the lever another notch forward, and sent the +craft slipping through the water like a dolphin. + +The man in charge of the burning boat, Frank saw, had a pan with a +handle. He was dipping this into the water and throwing its contents +against the blazing after-part of the boat. Some gasoline or other +inflammable substance, however, seemed to burn all the more fiercely for +this deluge, and the man had to shrink farther and farther away as the +flames encroached upon him. + +A portly lady was shrieking constantly and waving her arms in a state of +terror. It was all that a younger woman, the other passenger, could do +to hold her in her seat and restrain her from jumping overboard. + +Frank had just a passing glance for the other actor in the scene. This +was the fellow he had seen leap overboard when the boat blew up. He was +somewhat older than Frank, and having cast adrift a box, the only loose +article aboard that would serve to act as a float, he had drifted safely +out of reach of the flames. + +"He's a coward, besides being a cad," involuntarily flashed through +Frank's mind. Then he made the launch swerve, and shouted to the +occupants of the motor boat: + +"All ready!" + +Frank, with his experience of the past, calculated so nicely that the +launch came alongside the burning motor boat at precisely the right +angle to allow the man in charge of the latter craft to grapple with a +boat-hook. + +"Quick, Mrs. Carrington," he spoke to the older lady, "get aboard the +launch as fast as you can." + +The woman's girl companion helped her get to her feet, but she pitched +about so that but for a clever movement on the part of Frank she would +have gone into the water. + +"Oh, dear! oh, dear!" she screamed, but with the aid of the younger +woman Frank managed to get her into the launch, where she dropped in a +heap and went into hysterics. Her companion got aboard more quietly. + +"You are just in time," gasped the man in charge of the motor boat. +"Don't risk the flames, but pull away." + +"Yes, there is nothing to be done in the way of putting out the fire," +said Frank. + +The man he spoke to was both worried and in pain. His face and hands +were blistered from his efforts to shield his passengers from the fire. +Just then a howl rang out. It proceeded from the fellow thirty feet +away, bobbing up and down on the empty box. This brought the older woman +to her senses. + +"It is Peter!" she screamed. "Oh, save Peter!" + +The paltry Peter began bellowing with deadly fear as the launch was +headed away from him. Frank could not feel very charitable toward a +fellow who, in the midst of peril, had left friends, probably relatives, +to their fate. However, he started to change the course of the launch, +when Pep, swinging one arm over the other in masterly progress like the +fine swimmer he always had been, crossed the bow of the craft. + +"I'll take care of him," shouted Pep to Frank, "and here's Randy in the +skiff." + +Frank saw Randy making for the spot, and as Pep grasped the side of the +floating box the skiff came alongside. + +"Hold on! Stop that other boat," blubbered the young fellow. "I want to +go ashore in a safe rig; I want to get to my aunt." + +"What did you leave her for?" demanded Pep, firing up. + +"Huh! Think I want to get drowned?" whimpered the other. + +Pep helped the scared youth into the skiff, drew himself over its edge, +and directed just one remark to the rescued lad. + +"Say!" he observed, indignantly. "I'd just like to kick you." + + + + +CHAPTER III--SHORT OF FUNDS + + +Frank drove the motor launch shoreward with accuracy and speed. The +stout lady had shrieked and acted as if half mad until she had been +assured that Peter was safe. She had to see with her own eyes that Peter +had been pulled into the rowboat with Randy and Pep. Then she collapsed +again. + +While she lay limp and exhausted, the young lady with her mopped her +head with a handkerchief and fanned her. The engineer of the motor boat +had got near to Frank. He looked pale and distressed. He kept his eye +fixed on the sinking motor boat for a time. + +"That's the last of her," he remarked, with a sigh. + +"Yes," responded Frank, "we couldn't do anything toward saving her." + +"I should think not. I tell you, if you hadn't known your business I +don't know what would have happened to us. Mrs. Carrington was entirely +unmanageable, her companion can't swim, and of course I wouldn't leave +them to perish." + +"The stout lady is Mrs. Carrington, I suppose?" asked Frank. + +"That's right." + +"And Peter, I suppose, is the brave young man who jumped overboard with +the float?" + +"He is her nephew, and a precious kind of a relative he is!" said the +motor boat man, and his face expressed anger and disgust. "He would +smoke those nasty cigarettes of his and throw the stubs where he liked. +Honestly, I believe it was one of those that started the fire." + +"He hasn't shown himself to be very valiant or courageous," commented +Frank. + +There was a great crowd at the beach near the shore end of the pier +where the launch landed. The skiff holding Randy, Pep and their dripping +and shivering companion glided to the same spot as an officer saw that +the launch was secured. He stared down in an undecided way at the +helpless Mrs. Carrington. Peter, safe and sound now, leaped aboard the +launch with the assurance of an admiral. + +"Hey, officer," he hailed the man, "get a conveyance for the party as +quick as you can." + +"Suppose you do it yourself?" growled the motor boat man, looking as if +he would like to give Peter a good thrashing. + +"Me? In this rig? Oh, dear, no!" retorted the shocked Peter. "I've got +five suits of clothes home. Really, I ought to send for one. Don't know +what the people at Catalpa Terrace will say to see me coming home +looking like a drowned rat, don't you know," and Peter grinned in a +silly, self-important way. + +"He makes me sick!" blurted out the motor boat man. + +The young lady who was supporting Mrs. Carrington leaned toward Frank. +Her face expressed the respect and admiration she felt for their +rescuer. + +"We can never thank you enough for your prompt service," she said, in a +voice that trembled a trifle from excitement. + +"I am glad I was within call," replied Frank, modestly. + +"Won't you kindly give me your name?" inquired the young lady. "I am +Miss Porter, and I am companion to Mrs. Carrington. I know her ways so +well, that I am sure the first thing she will want to know when she +becomes herself again is the name of her brave rescuer." + +"My name is Frank Durham," replied our hero. "My chums in the little +boat are Randolph Powell and Pepperill Smith." + +"So you live here at Seaside Park? Where can Mrs. Carrington send you +word, for I am positive she will wish to see you?" + +"We may stay here until to-morrow--I cannot tell," explained Frank. "If +we do, I think we will be at the Beach Hotel." + +The young lady had a small writing tablet with a tiny pencil attached, +secured by a ribbon at her waist. She made some notations. Then she +extended her hand and grasped Frank's with the fervency of a grateful +and appreciative person. Then an auto cab drew up at the end of the +pier, the officer summoned help, and Mrs. Carrington was lifted from the +launch. Frank assisted Miss Porter, and Peter, apparently fancying +himself an object of admiration to all the focussed eyes of the crowd, +disappeared into the automobile. + +"Hey!" yelled Pep after him, doubling his fists. "Thank you!" + +The motor boat man grasped Frank's hand with honest thankfulness in his +eyes. + +"I shan't forget you very soon," he said with genuine feeling. + +"Did the boat belong to you?" asked Frank. + +"Yes, I own two motor boats here," explained the man, "and run them for +just such parties as you see." + +"The explosion will cause you some money loss." + +"I hardly think so," answered the man. "Mrs. Carrington is a rich woman, +they say, and she is quite liberal, too. I think she will do the right +thing and not leave all the loss on a poor man like myself." + +"Get the skiff back where you found it, Randy," directed Frank. "I will +be with you soon," and he started the launch back for the spot where he +had been allowed to use it by its owner. + +A chorus of cheers followed him. Glancing across the pier, Frank noted +the owner of the motor boat surrounded by a crowd and being interviewed +by two young fellows who looked like newspaper reporters. One of them +parted the throng suddenly and ran along the pier, focussing a camera +upon the launch. He took a snap shot and waved his hand with an admiring +gesture at its operator. + +"Young man, I don't know when I have been so pleased and proud," +observed the owner of the launch as Frank drove up to the pier where he +stood. "I'm glad I had my boat at hand and as bright and smart a fellow +as you to run it just in the nick of time." + +Frank felt pleased over his efforts to be helpful to others. He was too +boyish and ingenuous not to suffer some embarrassment as he passed +little groups staring after him. Such remarks as "That's him!" "There he +goes!" "Plucky fellow!" and the like greeted his hearing and made him +blush consciously. + +He found his friends down the beach, Randy laughing at Pep and joking +with him, the latter seated on the edge of the boardwalk emptying the +water out of his shoes and grumbling at a great rate. + +"What's the trouble, Pep?" hailed Frank. + +"Trouble! Say, whenever I think of my chance to duck that cheap cad we +took aboard the skiff I want to lam myself. 'Jumped overboard to hurry +for help,' he claimed. Then found 'that he had forgotten he couldn't +swim.' Bah!" and the irate Pep slammed his shoe down on a board as if it +was the head of the offensive and offending Peter Carrington. + +"We'll go up town and get you dried out, Pep," remarked Frank. "I say, +fellows, I'm inclined to believe that we're going to find an opportunity +of some kind here at Seaside Park. The little hotel we inquired at seems +to be the cheapest in the place, and we had better make arrangements +there for a sort of headquarters, even if we don't stay here more than a +day or two." + +"That suits," nodded Randy. "The man offered a double room on the top +floor for a dollar, and we can pick up our meals outside." + +The three chums concluded the arrangement at the Beach Hotel. +Fortunately each had brought an extra suit of clothes on his journey, +and Pep was placed in comfortable trim once more. Then they sallied +forth again to make a tour of the parts of the little town they had not +previously visited. + +"Just look at the crowds right within a stone's throw of the place we +are thinking of renting," said Pep, as quite naturally they wandered +back to the empty store so suited to their purposes and so desired by +each. + +"Yes, and it keeps up from almost daybreak clear up to midnight," +declared Randy. "Why, Frank, we could run three shifts four hours each. +Just think of it--twelve shows a day. Say, it would be a gold mine!" + +"I agree with you that it looks very promising," decided Frank. "We must +do some close figuring, fellows." + +"Let's go inside and look the building over again," suggested Pep, and +this they did. + +"Why, hello!" instantly exclaimed the owner. "Back again?" + +"Yes, Mr. Morton," replied Frank, pleasantly. + +"Shake!" cried the old fellow, dropping a hammer he held and in turn +grasping a hand of each of his juvenile visitors. "You're some pluck, +the three of you. That was the neatest round-up I ever saw. What you +been before? Life saving service?" + +"Why, hardly----" began Frank. + +"Well, you got those people off that burning motor boat slicker than I +ever saw it done before. Look here, lads, business is business, and I +have to hustle too hard for the dollars to take any risks, but I like +the way you do things, and if I can help you figure out how you may take +a lease on the premises here and make something out of the old barracks, +I'm going to favor you." + +"We shall decide this evening, Mr. Morton," said Frank. + +"Well, you've got an option on the place till you are ready to report, +no matter who comes along." + +"Thank you," bowed Frank. + +"Oh, I do so hope we can make it!" exclaimed the impetuous Pep. + +They were hungry enough to enjoy a hearty meal at a restaurant. Then +they found themselves tired enough for a resting spell. Their room at +the hotel was a lofty one, but it commanded the whole beach and afforded +an unobstructed view of the sea for miles. The chums arranged their +chairs so as to catch the cool breeze coming off the water, forming a +half-circle about an open window. + +Frank had been pretty quiet since they had last seen the vacant store, +leaving Randy and Pep to do the chattering. They knew their business +chum had been doing some close calculating and they eagerly awaited his +first word. + +"Tell you, fellows," finally spoke their leader in an offhand but +serious way, "I've turned and twisted about all the many corners to this +big proposition before us, and it's no trivial responsibility for +amateurs like us." + +"We made good at Fairlands; didn't we?" challenged Pep. + +"That is true," admitted Frank, "but remember our investment there +wasn't heavy; we didn't have to go into debt, expenses were light, we +were right among friends who wanted to encourage us, and we had free +board at home." + +"That's so," murmured Randy, with a long-drawn sigh. + +"If we start in here at Seaside Park," went on Frank, "we have got to +fix up right up to date or we'll find ourselves nowhere in a very little +while. There's electric fans, expensive advertising, a big license fee, +more help and the films--that's the feature that worries me. As we +learned this morning, we have got to have the latest and best in that +direction." + +"But twelve shows a day, Frank," urged Pep. "Think of it--twelve!" + +"Yes, I know," responded Frank. "It looks very easy until some break +comes along. I wouldn't like to pile up a lot of expenses, and then have +to flunk and lose not only the little capital we have but the outfit +we've worked so hard to get. Truth is, fellows, any way I figure it out, +we're short of the ready funds to carry this thing through." + +Randy and Pep looked pretty blank at this. It was a decidedly wet +blanket on all their high hopes. + +"Couldn't we get a partner who would finance us?" finally suggested +Randy. + +"Why, say, give me that chance!" spoke an eager voice that brought the +three chums to their feet. + + + + +CHAPTER IV--AN OLD FRIEND + + +It had grown nearly dusk while the three chums sat at the window of +their room animatedly discussing their prospects. None of them had +thought of lighting the gas and the night shadows that had crept into +the room prevented them from recognizing the intruder whom they now +faced. + +They had left the door of the room leading into the corridor wide open +to allow a free current of air. The doorway framed a dim figure who now +advanced into the room as Frank challenged sharply: + +"Who's that?" + +"Why, it's me--Peter," came the cool reply. "Don't you remember?" + +Peter--Peter Carrington--stalked closer to the window with the superb +effrontery that was a natural part of his make-up. He ducked his head +and grinned at the chums in the most familiar manner in the world. There +was a spare chair near by. Peter moved it near to the others and sat +down as if he owned it. + +"Feels good to rest," he enlightened his grim and astonished hosts. "Had +a message for you, and the hotel clerk directed me to your room. Say, +you must fancy climbing four flights of stairs!" + +"You seem to have made it," observed Randy, in a rather hostile tone, +while Pep seemed bristling all over. + +"Glad I did," piped Peter, cheerfully. "Wouldn't have missed it for +worlds. Just in time to hear you fellows going over your dandy scheme, +and say--it's a winner! Photo playhouse on the beach! Why, it'll coin +money!" + +Nobody said anything. Frank was minded to treat the intruder civilly and +resumed his chair. Suddenly Pep flared out: + +"Have you been waiting out in the hall there, listening to our private +conversation?" + +"Guess I have; glad I did," chuckled the thick-skinned Peter. "I heard +you say you were short of funds and something about a partner. What's +the matter with me? I suppose you know my aunt is rich and we're some +folks here. We live up on the Terrace--most fashionable part of the town. +Why, if I had an interest in your show I could fill your place with +complimentaries to the real people of Seaside Park. They'd advertise +you, my friends would, till there'd be nothing but standing room left." + +"Think so?" observed Randy, drily. + +"Know it. I'm my aunt's heir, you know, and she's got scads of money. +She's been drawing the tight rein on me lately. I smashed an automobile +last week and it cost her over four hundred dollars, and she's holding +me pretty close on the money question. But in business, she'd stake me +for anything I wanted. Says she wants to see me get into something." + +"You got into the water when the motor boat blew up, all right," +remarked Pep. + +"Hey?" spoke Peter, struggling over the suggestion presented. "Oh, you +mean a joke? Ha! ha! yes, indeed. Business, though, now," and Peter +tried to look shrewd and important. + +"We have not yet decided what we are going to do," said Frank. "As you +have overheard, we need a little more capital than what we actually +have. I will remember your kind offer, and if we cannot figure it out as +we hope I may speak to you on the subject later." + +"I wish you would come right up to the house now and tell my Aunt Susie +all about it," pressed Peter, urgently. + +"I couldn't think of it," answered Frank. "No, you leave matters just as +I suggest and we will see what may come of it." + +"Say, Frank," whispered Pep, on fire with excitement, "you don't mean to +think of encouraging this noodle; do you?" + +"I want to get rid of him," answered Frank, and all hands were relieved +to see the persistent Peter rise from his seat. + +"Oh, say," he suddenly exclaimed--"I came for something, that's so. My +aunt wants to see you, all three of you. Miss Porter gave her your names +and addresses and she wouldn't rest until I had come down here. She +wants you all to come to dinner to-morrow evening and she won't take no +for an answer." + +"Why, we may not be here then," said Frank. + +"Oh, you must come," declared Peter, "now I have a chance to go in with +you. I couldn't think of your not seeing her. Look here," and Peter +winked and tried to look sly--"Aunt Susie is no tightwad. She is the most +generous woman in the world. She's minded to give you fellows a fine +meal and treat you like princes. She considers that you saved her life +and she can't do too much for you. Say, on the quiet, I'll bet she makes +you a present of fifty dollars apiece." + +"What for?" demanded Frank. + +"For getting to that burning boat and saving all hands, of course. Why, +I wouldn't take the risk you did of being blown up for a thousand +dollars." + +"No, I don't think you would," announced Pep, bluntly. + +"I'll tell you," went on their guest--"if you'll give me a tip on the +side I'll work up Aunt Susie to a hundred dollars apiece. There, I know +I can do it." + +Frank bit his lip and tried to keep from losing his temper with this +mean-spirited cad. Then he said with quiet dignity: + +"I think you had better go, Mr. Carrington, and I shall expect you to +tell your aunt that we were only too glad to do a trifling service for +her. Please inform her, also, that I am quite certain we shall be too +busy to accept her kind invitation for to-morrow evening; in fact, we +may leave Seaside Park for our home at Fairlands early in the morning." + +Dauntless Peter! you could not squelch that shallow nerve of his. In a +trice he shouted out: + +"Why! do you live at Fairlands?" + +"Yes," nodded Frank, wondering what was coming next from this +extraordinary youth. + +"Then you know Greg Grayson?" + +"Oh, yes," admitted Randy. + +"I should think we did!" observed Pep, with a wry grimace. + +"Why, then, we're regular friends," insisted Peter, acting as if he was +about to embrace all hands. "He was my roommate at school. We were like +twin brothers." + +"Maybe that's the reason!" muttered Pep. + +"His folks are big guns in Fairlands, just as we are here. Say, if you +know Greg Grayson, that settles it. You just ask him if I ain't all +right--up to snuff and all that--and if I wouldn't make a fine partner." + +Frank managed to usher their persistent visitor from the room, all the +way down the corridor the latter insisting that he was going to "put the +proposition up to Aunt Susie" forthwith, and that they would hear from +him on the morrow. + +"Frank," exclaimed Pep, "it seems good to get rid of that fellow." + +"A fine partner he'd make," observed Randy, with a snort. + +"I am dreadfully sorry he overheard our plans," spoke Frank. "Of course +it will soon be generally known if we decide to locate here; but this +Peter may talk a lot of rubbish that might hurt us or start somebody +else on our idea." + +"And to think of his knowing Greg Grayson, and playing him off on us as +a recommendation!" cried Pep. + +"They make a good pair," added Randy. "Why, I'd give up the whole +business before I would have either of them connected with our plans in +any way." + +"I wouldn't wonder if Mr. Jolly might happen along if we stay here a day +or two longer," remarked Frank. "You know he was the first to suggest a +look at Seaside Park with a view to business." + +"That's so," said Randy. "Did you write to him, Frank?" + +"Yes. You know when we closed up at Fairlands he said he would take a +day or two visiting some relatives and looking over the movies business +in the city." + +"Ben Jolly told me he wasn't going to stay idle all summer. Nor let us +do it, either," observed Pep. "He'll have something fresh to tell us +when we see him." + +"Well, when we left Fairlands I sent him a few lines telling him that we +were going to look over the field here," said Frank. "That is why I +think he may drop in on us." + +"I wish he would," declared Randy. "Mr. Jolly knows so much about the +business. What's the programme for to-morrow, Frank?" + +"Why, I thought we would find out what it will cost us to move our traps +here from Fairlands, the amount of the license fee for the show, the +cost of a lot of electric wiring and current we will need if we locate +at Seaside Park, how much it will cost us to live, and a lot of such +details." + +The boys had a wonderfully refreshing sleep in that high room pervaded +with cool ocean breezes, and got up fully an hour later than they had +planned. After Peter Carrington had left them the evening before they +had strolled down the beach about nine o'clock to get an idea of the +evening crowds. This filled them more than ever with ardor as to their +prospective business undertaking. + +"I say," Randy had observed, "don't you see, Frank, there aren't enough +amusements to go around?" + +"Yes," Frank had assented, "the crowds seem just in trim for some lively +entertainment." + +The chums dispatched a substantial breakfast at the restaurant. Then +they started out on their second day's investigation of conditions and +prospects at Seaside Park. + +Frank made it a point to interview several owners of concessions along +the beach. Those with whom he talked had attractions vastly inferior to +the one the chums designed to operate, but the boys picked up many a +suggestion and useful hint. It was shortly before noon when they sat +down to rest under a tree in that part of the town given over to +permanent residences and summer cottages. They began talking over the +ever-present theme of their photo playhouse when there was an +interruption. + +Down the street there strolled leisurely a young man who made it a point +to halt whenever he got in front of a house. There he would linger and +begin a series of whistling exploits that made the air vibrate with the +most ravishing melody. + +"Say, just listen to that!" exclaimed Pep, in a pleased tone. + +"It's one of those trick whistles," declared Randy. + +"Then it's an extra fine one," said Pep. + +"I think you are mistaken, boys," suggested Frank. "Those are real human +notes--at least almost exact human imitations of bird tones." + +"Well, then, the fellow must have a throat like a nightingale," asserted +the enthusiastic Pep. + +The active whistler deserved all the chums said about him. His +repertoire seemed exhaustless. He confined himself to imitations of +birds exclusively--and of only such birds as were native to the +surrounding country. + +He fairly filled the air with melody, and real birds in the trees and +shrubbery about the handsome residences of the locality twittered, +hopped about and responded in an echoing chorus to his expert call. + +Little children came running out of yards to gaze in wonder and +admiration at this unusual warbler. Even older folks watched and +listened to him. The man turned a corner out of view of the motion +picture chums, followed by quite a procession. + +He had scarcely vanished before a high wagon such as is used to carry +cooper's barrels turned slowly into the street. A slow old horse pulled +it along. Its driver nimbly leaped from his seat. The moment he called +out "Whoa!" to the horse and turned his face toward the chums, Pep Smith +uttered a great shout. + +"Why, fellows, see," he cried, in mingled glee and surprise--"it's Ben +Jolly!" + + + + +CHAPTER V--THE BIRD HOUSE + + +Ben Jolly it was, more sprightly, more jolly-looking than ever, for he +waved his hand with a genial smile to the children staring down the side +street after the whistler. The other reached into the wagon. Instantly +upon recognizing their old-time friend and helper the three chums +started in his direction. + +"Hi, there!" hailed Pep, while Randy waved his hand gaily and all +hurried their gait. + +"Well! well!" exclaimed Jolly, his face an expanding smile of welcome, +extending both hands and greeting his friends in turn. "I expected to +find you here and headed for here, but I did not expect to run across +you so oddly." + +"For mercy's sake, Mr. Jolly," burst forth Randy, staring in amazement +at the wagon, "what in the world have you got there?" + +"Why bird houses," replied Jolly. + +"Bird houses?" repeated Pep, equally bewildered. "What are you doing +with such a lot of bird houses?" + +"Selling them, of course." + +Frank himself was surprised and puzzled. The wagon contained half a +dozen tiers of little box-like structures packed close. At one side was +a heap of poles the size of display flag staffs. These poles were stout +and heavy, painted white, and about twelve feet in length. The houses +were about two feet high and as wide. They were painted white, like the +poles, and were exact models of a broad, low colonial house, even to the +veranda. The roof was painted red, there was an imitation chimney and a +double open doorway in front trimmed with green. All around this +miniature house were little apertures representing windows. + +A neater, more inviting little bird house for a garden could not well be +imagined. As Jolly took a sample from the wagon the little children +flocked about him on tiptoe of curiosity. There were admiring "Oh's!" +and "Ah's!" "Ain't they cute!" "What cunning little houses!" and "Oh, +mister! are they for sale?" "What do they cost?" + +"If you will excuse me while I make a demonstration," observed Jolly, +"I'll explain what it's all about." + +"What a rare fellow he is!" remarked Randy to his companions, as they +stepped aside. + +"The same busy, happy, good-natured friend of everybody," returned +Frank, with genuine feeling. + +If there was a being in the world the motion picture chums had reason to +feel kindly toward it was this same Ben Jolly. A free wanderer, taking +things easy, tramping flower-fringed country roads, making his way, +willing to meet any task that came along, Ben Jolly had dropped into +their life at the critical moment when they were discussing the +prospects of their first motion picture show at Fairlands. + +Ben had been a Jack-of-all-trades and knew a little something about +pretty nearly everything. Particularly he knew a good deal about the +movies. He gave the boys advice and suggestions that enabled them to buy +their first outfit at a bargain and the day the show opened appeared +with an old piano which he had induced a rich relative to buy. From that +time on Ben Jolly furnished the music for the Wonderland photo playhouse +and, as told in our first volume, was the means of unearthing a plot +against the father of Frank Durham, whereby he had been swindled out of +a small estate. + +Jolly took a sample bird house under each arm and entered the first yard +he came to, the interested children keeping him close company. He came +out of the first house with only one bird house, he came out of the +second with none. Along the block he visited on both sides of the street +Jolly disposed of just eleven of the attractive little miniature +domiciles, distributed poles later to each purchaser and rejoined the +boys. + +"Now, then," he said, briskly, placing a little roll of banknotes in a +well-filled wallet, "how are you and what are the prospects?" + +"Excellent," declared Randy. "See here, though, Mr. Jolly, will you +kindly explain this new business of yours?" + +"Simply a side line," replied Jolly, in a gay, offhand manner. + +"But where did you ever pick up that rig and that lot of odd truck?" +challenged Pep. + +"I picked up better than that," retorted Jolly, cheerily. "I ran across +the finest advance agent in the business--and here he comes. You knew him +once, but under his stage name of Hal Pope. He's Mr. Hal Vincent now." + +At that moment the whistler came into view, having circled the block. As +he approached, Frank's face expressed pleased surprise. + +"Why," exclaimed Pep, "it's our friend the ventriloquist." + +"So it is," echoed Randy. + +"Glad to meet you again," said Hal Vincent, and there was an all-around +handshaking. "You're all looking fine and I hear you're prosperous." + +"Not so much so that we could afford to hire you for our programme at +Fairlands, as we would like to do, Mr. Vincent," replied Frank, with a +smile. + +Pep began to grin as he looked at Vincent, and the memory of their first +meeting was reviewed. Then he chuckled and finally he broke out into a +ringing guffaw. + +"Thinking of my first and only appearance at that auction where you +bought your movies outfit?" inquired Vincent, with a smile. + +"Will we ever forget it?" cried Randy. "I tell you, Mr. Vincent, if you +hadn't made the auctioneer believe that two innocent bystanders were +bidding against each other with your ventriloquism, and gained time +until Frank arrived, we would never have gotten into the motion picture +business." + +"It worked finely; didn't it?" answered Vincent. + +"I ran across Hal at Tresco, about thirty miles from here," narrated Ben +Jolly. "He was counting the ties in the direction of New York, having +left the dummies he uses in his stunts on the stage for meals and +lodging." + +"Yes, I was about all that was left of the Consolidated Popular +Amusement Corporation," put in Vincent. "I was glad to meet an old +friend like Ben. He told me there was the shadow of a chance that you +might start in at Seaside Park and wanted me to come along with him. +Then we ran across the outfit here," and the speaker nodded toward the +wagon and its contents. + +"That was my brilliant idea," added Jolly. "I call it a rare stroke of +luck, the way we ran across the outfit." + +"How?" projected Pep, vastly curious. + +"Well, a carpenter in a little town we came through had got crippled. +The doctor told him he wouldn't get around without crutches for six +months. He was a lively, industrious old fellow and couldn't bear to be +idle. Had a lot of waste lumber and worked it up into dog houses. There +weren't many dogs in the town, so his sale was limited. Then the bird +house idea came along. The carpenter got the local paper to print a lot +about the birds, the merry birds, that sing about our door----" + +"That--sing--about--our--door!" echoed a slow, deep bass, apparently away up +in a high tree near by, and the boys knew that their gifted +ventriloquist friend was exercising his talents. + +"The carpenter," proceeded Jolly, "hired a lot of boys to go forth on +his mission of kindness to our feathery songsters. The campaign went +ahead until nearly everybody wanting a bird house got one. Our friend +found himself with some two hundred of the little structures left on his +hands. He had overstocked the market, with a big surplus left on his +hands. When we came along it was a sign in front of his place that +attracted our attention. It read: 'These fine bird houses and a capable +horse, wagon, and harness for sale for a mere song.' + +"Anything odd always catches me, so I interviewed the old man. It seemed +that he had received word only that day that a relative in another part +of the country had left him a farm. He wanted to realize quick and he +offered me the bird house outfit and the rig all for fifty dollars. I +had only thirty-eight dollars, and he took that and gave me his new +address. The arrangement was that if I was lucky in getting rid of the +bird houses I was to send him the balance. If I didn't he was willing to +charge it up to profit and loss. He'll get that balance," announced +Jolly, with a satisfied smile. + +"It looks so, judging from your sales of the last half-hour," remarked +Frank. + +"What do you get for the little houses, Mr. Jolly?" inquired Randy. + +"A dollar apiece. I don't sell them, though--not a bit of it," exclaimed +Ben Jolly, modestly. "It's Hal. You ought to hear his whole +repertoire--orioles, thrushes, mourning doves, nightingales, mocking +birds. He infuses the neighborhood with the melody and I slide in with +the practical goods. And that rig--remember the noise wagon at Fairlands, +Pep Smith?" + +"Do I?" cried Pep, in a gloating way--"I should say I did!" + +The "noise wagon" had been introduced in connection with the photo +playhouse at Fairlands and had become a novel institution with the +inhabitants. A wagon enclosed with canvas, bearing announcements of +existing and coming film features, was provided with a big bass drum, +bells, huge board clappers and some horns--all operated by pedals under +the driver's feet. + +"You see this new rig of mine would work in on the same basis here," +proceeded Jolly. "If not, I can get more for the outfit than I paid for +it, anyway. Now then, Durham, where can we find you this evening?" + +"Why not sooner?" suggested the impetuous Pep. "We've a great lot to +tell you, Mr. Jolly." + +"And I'm anxious to hear it all," declared Jolly, "but we've got our +stock to get rid of. Nothing like keeping at it when you've made a good +beginning; and this town starts out promising-like." + +Frank now decided that he would remain over at Seaside Park for another +day at least. The appearance of Ben Jolly somehow infused all hands with +renewed vim and cheerfulness. The chums were glad also to meet Hal +Vincent. He had done them a big favor in the past and they realized that +he could be of considerable advantage to them in the future in case they +located at Seaside Park. + +Vincent had the reputation of being an accomplished all-around +entertainer. He was an expert ventriloquist and parlor magician, liked +the boys and had told Frank on the occasion of their first meeting that +he would be glad to go on their programme at any time for a very +moderate compensation. + +Ben Jolly burst in upon his young friends with his usual bustle and +buoyancy about six o'clock that evening. He merrily chinked a pocket +full of silver and was all ready for what might next come along, and +eager to tackle it. + +"Left Hal finishing one of the few full meals he has had since his show +broke up," reported Jolly. "Got rid of the last one of the bird +houses--and, see here, Frank," and the volatile speaker exhibited a +comfortable-looking roll of bank notes. "That was a fine speculation, +the way it turned out, and leaves me quite in funds. Now then, what's +the programme?" + +Frank became serious at once and all the others as well. He told his +loyal friend all about their plans and hopes. Jolly shook his head +soberly when Frank produced some figures showing that the amount +necessary to operate a new photo playhouse was beyond their ready means. + +"I've got nearly one hundred dollars you are welcome to," reported Jolly +promptly, "but that's about my limit. You see, when I got the money to +buy that piano and the 'noise wagon' I practically sold my prospects for +a last mess of pottage. I'm willing to pitch in and live 'most any way +to give the new show a start, but when it comes to raising the extra +five hundred dollars needed, I'm afraid I can't help you much." + +Randy looked glum at this, and Pep was almost crying. Ben Jolly sat +chewing a toothpick vigorously, his thinking cap on. + +"Perhaps we had better give up the idea of coming to Seaside Park until +we are a little stronger in a money way----" Frank had begun, when there +was an interruption. + +"Someone to see Mr. Frank Durham," announced a bellboy, appearing in the +open doorway. + +Frank arose from his chair promptly and went out into the corridor. + +"In the ladies' parlor, sir," added the bellboy, and Frank went down the +stairs, wondering who this unexpected visitor could be. + + + + +CHAPTER VI--A FRIEND IN NEED + + +Frank Durham entered the ladies' parlor of the hotel to see a stout, +dressy woman arise, joined by a girlish companion. He recognized both at +once. They were the persons he had taken aboard the launch from the +burning motor boat the afternoon before. + +"This is Mr. Durham," spoke Miss Porter, and she smiled in a friendly +way at our hero, while her companion extended her bejeweled hand with a +decided show of welcome. + +"I was so overcome by that explosion," said Mrs. Carrington, "that I +just got a glimpse of you. Then that ridiculous fainting away! I have +thanked Miss Porter a dozen times for having had the foresight to obtain +your name and that of your brave young comrades. Now then, Mr. Durham, +if you please, sit down and give an account of yourself." + +"In what way, madam?" asked Frank, with an embarrassed smile, and +flushing at the compliment conveyed. + +"Why have you not accepted our invitation to come up to the house, as I +requested?" demanded Mrs. Carrington, pretending to be very severe. + +"I certainly appreciated your kindness in thinking of me," replied +Frank; "but I have been very much occupied with business and did not +know yesterday how long I would remain at Seaside Park. Then, too, some +friends arrived this afternoon." + +"I am used to being obeyed, young man," Mrs. Carrington, with a playful +frown. "I have no doubt, though, that I sent a blundering messenger. Oh, +that Peter of mine! I never know how to place him. He came back +perfectly wild over going into the motion picture business with you. He +has been tormenting me all day long about it. I have told him decidedly +that I should not encourage him in any way. + +"To tell you the truth, Mr. Durham, Peter is a sad failure at anything +that requires application and work. I would not do you the injustice of +having you hampered by a person who has no business training and does +not know the value of money. The fact is, Peter has been a great cross +to me of late, and I am now in correspondence with a military school, +with the idea of getting him where a year's discipline may do him some +good." + +Frank had not for a moment seriously entertained the thought of taking +Peter Carrington into partnership. He felt immensely relieved, however, +to find that his visitor did not press that phase of the subject. + +"I have come, first and foremost," went on the fussy but good-natured +lady, "to thank you for what you did for us. When I think of how near we +were to drowning or burning up it makes me shudder! My friends, who +happened to see your picture in this morning's paper----" + +"My picture?" exclaimed Frank, in bewilderment. "What picture, Mrs. +Carrington?" + +"Why," cried Mrs. Carrington, "he actually is so modest he hasn't +realized what a hero he has been! I refer to the splendid account of +your bravery in the _Brenton Daily News_." + +Brenton was the nearest city, about twenty miles from Seaside Park. +Frank began to get a faint glimmering of the situation now. The reporter +who had snap-shotted him with his camera from the pier must have sent +his story to the paper Mrs. Carrington mentioned. + +"I think I have the clipping about the rescue," observed Miss Porter, +groping in her hand bag while her merry eyes twinkled as she observed +the increasing embarrassment of Frank. "Yes, here it is." + +Frank only glanced at the clipping that was held forward for his +inspection. He could not help but notice the glowing head line; "A +Signal Act of Bravery," and observe that a very fair picture of himself +in the launch was shown. + +"You can have it, Mr. Durham," continued his mischievous tormentor with +a smile. "Your friends are named also in the paper and they may not +dislike honest praise, as you seem to do." + +"Now then," broke in Mrs. Carrington, in her self-assertive way, "let me +say what I specially came down here to say. Oh, I was telling about my +friends. They have fairly overwhelmed me with congratulations over my +fortunate escape." + +"Yes, and some of them who saw the newspaper account said--what was it, +Mrs. Carrington? You must tell Mr. Durham," declared the younger woman. + +"About the handsome picture and what a sensible, thoughtful young man +our rescuer must be?" + +"Oh, Mrs. Carrington," pleaded Frank. "I beg of you!--it is I who am +being overwhelmed now. You will make me so vain I will really begin to +think I did something of consequence. Why, there isn't a young fellow +anywhere who wouldn't hasten to help ladies in distress." + +"Don't belittle what you did," said Mrs. Carrington, and her face and +tone grew very serious. "You did so much of consequence, Mr. Durham, and +you did it so manfully and nobly that I would not think of affronting +you with any offer of a reward. I fancy I read you deeper than you think +as to that feature. I will say this, however, and I came here especially +to say it, that I am your true friend and I am anxious to help you and +your young companions in a practical, useful way." + +"You are very, very kind to say what you do," said Frank earnestly. + +"Let me be really kind," suggested Mrs. Carrington, "and I shall be +satisfied. My nephew has told me enough about your business plans to +convince me that you are at a critical point in your career, where a +little capital may be everything to you. I am a wealthy woman, Mr. +Durham. I do not wish to offer you a gift. Simply as a business woman +who has confidence in you, let me know about your affairs and help you +in a business way." + +Frank's head drooped. The boy who never flinched from pain or fear was +so deeply moved by the friendly interest of this kind-hearted woman, +that he could not keep back a long-drawn sigh of appreciation and +gratitude. + +"You make me think of my own kind mother," said Frank quite brokenly. +"It is worth living to find such friends." + +"You dear boy!" cried Mrs. Carrington, placing a hand on Frank's arm, "I +can imagine what a lovely mother you must have and for her sake you must +let me help you along in your business enterprise. Come, Mr. Durham, +explain your needs to me and let me co-operate with you." + +The invitation was irresistible. Long since Frank had calculated all the +risks and chances of success in his new enterprise and had decided that +it could scarcely fail. + +"Mrs. Carrington," he said in a straightforward way, "I would not allow +any person to invest money in a business where there was the remotest +risk of loss. We lack a few hundred dollars to start a photo playhouse +at Seaside Park in the right way. If you feel in a position to advance +it or become responsible for what we need, I wish to secure you so that +in case the venture goes wrong we will be the only losers." + +"I not only feel willing to assist you," said Mrs. Carrington, "but I +insist upon it. It is very simple--how much capital do you require? Have +you my check book in your hand bag, Miss Porter?" + +"No! no! no!" interrupted Frank urgently, "you must not think of doing +such a thing as that, Mrs. Carrington. It isn't business, you see. If +you have some agent or lawyer who will act for you, that will be the +best way." + +The kind lady looked disappointed at the suggestion. In her free-hearted +way she wished to trust Frank without restriction. He saw that her +feelings were hurt and he hastened to say: + +"My partners will feel ever so much better to have everything arranged +in a regular way and set down in black and white." + +"Very well, have your own way, Mr. Durham," said the lady, "only promise +to come to me if you have any troubles or further lack of funds." + +"Oh, we shall not," declared Frank, brightening with courage and +confidence as he saw all obstructions to the success of the new show +removed; and before he realized it, in his quick, vivid way he was +reciting his plans and prospects in detail. Frank told more than he had +started out to do, for the reason that every time he paused his auditors +plied him with new questions and urged him on with his story. + +"How very, very interesting," commented Mrs. Carrington. + +"It is simply delightful!" declared Miss Porter, with sparkling eyes. +"Oh, dear! it must be such a splendid thing to be a boy!" + +"I must see your young friends," insisted Mrs. Carrington. "I owe them +sincere thanks for their part in the rescue, and wish to tell them so." + +There was nothing for it but that Frank should go for his chums. Randy +was naturally bashful in the presence of strange ladies, but Pep was +"all there." Both Mrs. Carrington and Miss Porter were interested in the +lively lad whom they attracted from the start and made Pep feel +completely at home with his impetuous, original ways and remarks. + +The boys promised to call upon Mrs. Carrington as soon as they got +settled at Seaside Park. Then all three escorted the visitors to an +automobile waiting at the curb. Beside the chauffeur they found Peter +Carrington seated. He nodded familiarly to the chums. Then he caught +Pep's eye. + +With an air of great importance and a quick glance at his aunt and her +companion, as if making sure that they were not observing him, he placed +a finger to his lips. + +"S-st!" he uttered, and winked in an altogether mysterious manner at Pep +Smith. + +"'S-st!'" repeated Pep, as the machine started on its way--"now what in +the world does Peter Carrington mean by 'S-st?'" + + + + +CHAPTER VII--BUSINESS BOYS + + +"I hope I did right, fellows," said Frank. + +"You never do any other way," declared Randy Powell loyally. + +"Exactly my sentiments," echoed the impetuous Pep Smith. "You'll say so, +too; won't you, Mr. Jolly?" + +"I don't have to say it," retorted Ben Jolly quickly, "you all know I +think it. You're a man of business, Frank Durham, and a Philadelphia +lawyer couldn't have conducted this deal in a neater, squarer way." + +"Thank you," acknowledged Frank, slightly flustered at the compliments +of the coterie of friends about him. + +The new photo playhouse at Seaside Park was a certainty. When the boys +came down from their rooms at the hotel the morning after the visit from +Mrs. Carrington and her companion, the clerk called to Frank as he was +leaving the place. + +"Telephone message for you last night, Mr. Durham," he said. "It came +about ten o'clock and as it was not urgent and I did not wish to disturb +you, I thought I would keep it until this morning." + +The speaker handed a memorandum slip to Frank. It read: "Attorney +William Slade, on request of Mrs. Carrington, would like to see you in +the morning." + +Frank showed the memorandum to Randy and Pep. The chums at once realized +what it meant. It evinced the determination of the strong-willed Mrs. +Carrington to have her own way. In fact the boys had come to the +conclusion that she should do so. With Ben Jolly, up in their room after +their visitors had departed, they had gone over the entire proposition +in detail. + +"You would be foolish to allow this chance to get the capital you need +in this business go by," advised Jolly. "Putting aside the fact that +this lady feels indebted to you, her offer is fair, square and +business-like." + +Frank thought over the affair in its every phase long after Randy and +Pep had gone to sleep. Jolly and Vincent had gotten a free shelter for +their rig and left the hotel to sleep in the wagon. + +"Used to that, you know--the only way in the world to live," asserted +Jolly, and then they made an arrangement to meet in the morning. The +'phone message at once set things in motion. The chums had breakfast, +Frank learned the address of Mr. Slade, and about nine o'clock started +for his office, which was located over the bank of the town. + +"You had better meet Mr. Jolly, as we agreed," directed Frank to his +companions. + +"Where will you pick us up again?" questioned Randy. + +"Why, I think I shall not be with this Mr. Slade more than an hour," +explained Frank. + +"Say, then," suggested Pep, "suppose we go over to the empty store +you're thinking of turning into a motion picture show and hang around +there?" + +"That empty store has a remarkable fascination for you, Pep," smiled +Frank. + +"You bet it has," confessed Pep. "Mr. Jolly is just as wild over it. I +shouldn't wonder if he was looking it over carefully the first thing +this morning." + +"Very well," said Frank, "we will all meet there say at eleven o'clock." + +Then Frank had gone on his way to report at the empty store half an hour +earlier than he expected. He found his chums and Ben Jolly anxiously +awaiting him. Vincent had remained with the horse and wagon at the barn. + +There were some old chairs at the rear of the vacant building, and Mr. +Morton invited them to make free use of them. It was quite a business +conclave that grouped together while Frank told his story. It was clear +and simple. Mrs. Carrington had instructed her attorney to advance up to +one thousand dollars to Frank and his friends as needed. + +"I insisted that we give the lady a bill of sale of all our belongings +as security," explained Frank. "The lawyer laughed at me. 'You don't +know a good thing when you see it,' he said. 'Perhaps not,' I told him; +'but I know an honorable way to protect those who have confidence in me, +as far as I can.' Well, anyhow, I made him write out a memorandum of the +whole transaction and signed a bill of sale. Was I going too fast in +setting myself up as the one man of this very enterprising firm? I hope +I did exactly right." + +And then followed the hearty sanction of Jolly and the boys to all Frank +had done. + +"I'm only a sort of drifter-in," observed Jolly, "so what I say is only +out of friendly interest. I would advise that just one of the firm take +the responsibility, if he's willing, on the lease and in all business +dealings. It simplifies things, you see." + +"It's got to be Frank, then," spoke Randy. + +"It will always be Frank," echoed Pep. "He's the brains of the business; +isn't he?" + +"I don't like the way you put it as to your being a drifter-in, as you +call it, Mr. Jolly," said Frank. "If it wasn't for you I am afraid the +Fairlands venture wouldn't have amounted to much." + +"Sho!" derided Jolly modestly. + +"It's true. You had your way about that and drew just as little money as +you could. Of course that was an experiment, and I let you have your own +way. Now we are on a broader basis and I'm going to have mine." + +"Are you?" challenged Jolly, with twinkling eyes. + +"Yes, sir, I am. I shall make a definite new deal all around." + +"Will you?" said Jolly. + +"Don't you doubt it. You've been a staunch, helpful friend and it's +equal partners, if we come to Seaside Park." + +"That is, you think you are going to make a business man of me?" + +"You've been one all along," vociferated Pep. "Why, that noise wagon +idea alone----" + +"A freak," interrupted Jolly, but Frank was resolute and it was settled +that their interesting friend should have a quarter interest in the +profits of the new venture. + +Frank called Mr. Morton into their confab. He explained to him precisely +their plans and the extent of their capital. + +"Mrs. Carrington backing you; eh?" he observed. "That makes you pretty +solid, if you only knew it, young man, although I had about made up my +mind to accept you as a tenant without any guarantee. Shall we call it +settled--you lease the premises until October first, pay me the first +month's rent before you come in and give me your word that you won't +break the lease?" + +"I wouldn't take the place on any other arrangement," said Frank. + +"It's settled, then," said their landlord, and Pep followed him as he +went to the window where the "To Rent" sign was placed, removed it and +began to tear it up. Pep was pretty near dancing. If they had been given +a palace he could not have been more pleased. + +"S-st!" sounded a sudden hail and the ubiquitous and mysterious Peter +Carrington came into evidence just outside the open doorway. + +"Hello!" challenged Pep, who could not repress his dislike for a fellow +who had played the eavesdropper and left a relative to the risk of +drowning. "What you snooping around for?" + +"Wanted to see you." + +"All right," nodded Pep carelessly. "You don't have to 'S-st' at me +regularly to get my attention, though. What's on your mind?" + +"I see the rent sign is down." + +"Yes," proclaimed Pep grandly, "we have leased the premises." + +"Well, I'm dead gone on being a partner. Aunt Susie discourages me, but +I don't care for that. There's an uncle of mine over in Brenton who says +he will back me if the thing shows up good, and I want to have a talk +with you fellows----" + +"Say, we have all the capital we need," announced Pep. + +"Oh, you have?" + +"A new partner just came in." + +"Huh!" snorted Peter. "Say, you don't mean my aunt?" + +"She is not a partner, no." + +Peter looked abashed, then disappointed, then angry. + +"'Tain't fair!" he declared. + +"What isn't fair?" + +"I spoke first and I deserve to have a show." + +"No one asked you to speak first; did he?" propounded Pep bluntly. + +This staggered Peter. He stood thinking deeply. Then he looked Pep over +and seemed to be studying something. + +"See here," he said with a half-cunning expression in his face, "I +suppose you know a heap about the movies?" + +"Oh, tolerable, tolerable," responded Pep, who did indeed think so. + +"And you remember Greg Grayson, of Fairlands?" + +"I have a perfectly clear memory of Mr. Gregory Grayson," answered Pep, +his nostrils dilating, but Peter was too obtuse to read between the +lines. + +"Well, I've got an idea," chuckled Peter. "Anybody has a right to start +a movies show; haven't they?" + +"If they want to, I suppose." + +"Well, since I can't make a deal with that Durham, I'm going it on my +own hook. I can raise the money; Greg's father is rich and he can help. +All we need is someone who knows the practical end of the business. Say, +you come in with us and I'll give you double what you expect to make +with those fellows there." + +Pep doubled up a fist. He was angry clear through. At a mere hint of +disloyalty to his famous friends he took fire. He gave Peter a push. + +"You get out!" he ordered staunchly. + +"Hey?" goggled Peter. + +"And stay out!" + +"Humph!" + +Peter got to a safe distance. Then he shook his fist at Pep. + +"Say," he snarled, "you've waked up the wrong customer. I've given you +the chance of your life and you've turned me down and insulted me. I'll +show you something. Greg Grayson and I will put a spoke in the wheel of +that Frank Durham and your whole precious crowd; see of we don't!" + + + + +CHAPTER VIII--KIDNAPPED + + +"If I had our old piano here," said Ben Jolly, "there's one tune I'd +play for all it's worth." + +"What is that, Mr. Jolly?" inquired Frank Durham. + +"'Home, Sweet Home.'" + +The staunch friend of the motion picture chums waved his hand like a +showman proudly exhibiting wares. He had a smiling and enthusiastic +audience. Everybody was smiling, even Hal Vincent, who had no particular +interest in the new photo playhouse. Frank's face was beaming, Randy +looked his delight and Pep uttered the words, with unction: + +"It's simply great!" + +Two days had made considerable difference in the situation at Seaside +Park. All hands had entered with enthusiasm into the proposition of +starting in on the new deal, with the certainty in view of sufficient +capital to finance them for at least two months ahead. The chums spent +so many delightful hours figuring, planning, and mapping out details +that Randy got to talking in his sleep, and Pep aroused all hands by +screaming out in the midst of a nightmare in which he had started a +photo playhouse in China, and the natives had mobbed him when a film +showed one of their favorite mandarins being carried away in an airship. + +It was Jolly, however--bustling, practical Ben Jolly--who had won the +laurels on the present occasion. When the vacant store had been used, at +the rear was a temporary kitchen. This was a frail structure set on +stilts, but roomy and just the thing for summer occupancy. Jolly was a +natural born trader. It seemed that he found some difficulty in +disposing of the old horse and wagon for cash. Finally, however, he came +across a dealer in second hand furniture. Jolly had got the idea in his +head of cutting down living expenses and utilizing the old kitchen +tacked on to the store building. + +The chums were down at the hotel that afternoon and Jolly planned a +grand surprise for them. It was now, upon their arrival at the playhouse +building, that the pleasure and praise of the motion picture chums +hailed him. + +No one could have failed to approve of the wonderful transformation +Jolly had made in a bare, cheerless lumber room. He had traded to good +advantage. There was a substantial table, a half dozen chairs, a +cupboard, a gas stove, a complete outfit of culinary utensils, dishes +and table cutlery, neat curtains for the windows and drapery dividing +the room in two parts, and one side section again into two compartments. + +In each of these were three cots, a table and a bureau. The cots had +double equipment of sheets and blankets, worn but attractive rugs +covered the floor, and there were several pictures on the walls. It was +no wonder that Pep Smith burst forth in his usual responsive way with +the declaration: + +"It's simply great!" + +"When you come to think that I got all those traps and forty dollars in +cash to boot for that impossible old rig of ours," observed Jolly, "you +will see that I made a very interesting dicker. What do you say, Durham; +we can make a neat cut in expenses, eh?" + +"Why, it makes easy the hardest part of our whole proposition," declared +Frank. + +"Yes, and here we can always be right on the spot," spoke Randy. + +"I'm something of a cook," boasted Jolly. "I don't say I could make +bread or pie, but as to common, everyday food, an occasional strawberry +shortcake, or even doughnuts--well, you stock up with the supplies and +I'll promise to do my best." + +"It's just fine," voted Pep. "The sleeping rooms look right across to +the ocean and there's a splendid sweep of air with all these openings. +It will be cool and comfortable on the very hottest nights. I'll wash +all the dishes, Mr. Jolly, and set the table, and all that." + +"Oh, we shall get on famously, I am sure of that," observed Frank with +keen satisfaction. + +The boys decided that they would at once move their traps from the hotel +and make permanent headquarters at their home base. They had their first +meal in their new quarters that evening. + +"You have certainly given us a royal meal, Mr. Jolly," declared Frank, +as beefsteak, fried potatoes, bakery biscuit, and coffee and a really +creditable corn starch pudding went the rounds. + +"Sorry I've got to leave you," remarked Vincent. "I'd ask nothing better +than to camp right here for the rest of the season." + +"Then why not do it?" inquired the ready Pep. + +"Yes, if you care to take pot luck with us till we get fairly on our +feet, you can certainly help us along with all your varied +accomplishments, Mr. Vincent," declared Frank. + +"I've got that in mind," explained Vincent, "but I must get to New York +first. You see, the show I was with that broke up owes me money. I want +to see if I can't get something out of the wreck and I want to call on +the backers of the proposition. I'd better get to the city while I have +the partnership profits Jolly has been good enough to say I have earned +on that bird house speculation. If I don't it will melt away." + +"I say," here put in Jolly, "why don't you and Durham go together? As +it's arranged, Durham, you have got to put in a day or two arranging for +what new equipment we need and the film service." + +"That is true," replied Frank, "and Mr. Vincent knows so much about the +motion picture business his advice and help would be of great benefit to +me." + +"I do know the ropes among the movies pretty well," said Vincent. "I +will be more than glad to take you the rounds and see that you get the +very best service and figures, Mr. Durham." + +"And I am to go back to Fairlands and arrange about moving what we want +of the old outfit?" inquired Jolly. + +"I think that is the best arrangement, yes," assented Frank. "Randy and +Pep must stay here to look after the place and receive what I may ship +and what you send on. Then, before we start, the three of us must run +down to Fairlands to see the folks." + +Everything was settled on that basis. It would take about ten days to +get the place fitted up as the boys wanted it, Mr. Morton told them. In +the meantime there were many little things that needed to be done in +which two handy lads like Randy and Pep might help. They and Jolly went +to the train to see Frank and Vincent off the next morning. Two hours +later Ben Jolly took a train in another direction, bound for Fairlands +and carrying messages from the boys to their home folks and friends. + +Part of the fixing up of the store room Mr. Morton had agreed to do at +his own expense. There were, however, innumerable details that fell to +the lot of the boys themselves. There were rolls of matting to buy for +the center aisle, and the stage was to be built under Randy's +supervision. They had decided to use the old name, "Wonderland," so as +to utilize the ornate electric sign they had at Fairlands, and Pep was +given charge of having this same name placed in a decorative way on the +two front windows. + +Nobody could work with Randy and Pep without coming under the influence +of their sunshiny natures. Randy was willing, accommodating and tireless +when he liked a job. Pep was no laggard, either, and in addition he kept +up such a lively chatter and made so many funny remarks that he had Mr. +Morton grinning half the time. + +The result was that not only did the owner of the place do all that he +had agreed to do, but did it just as the boys wanted. Then again when it +came to things not in his contract, he supplied the material voluntarily +and ended up by helping the boys at their tasks. + +At the end of three days Randy and Pep prided themselves on having +accomplished wonders. They had added several genuine comforts to their +living quarters at the rear and had pretty well spread the news over +Seaside Park that a first-class photo playhouse was soon to be opened. + +A letter came from Frank Saturday morning. It told of his busy hours in +the city and referred to Vincent as a splendid help in introducing him +among the motion picture supply men. He sent on a bundle of film and +song posters from which Pep could scarcely keep his hands. Frank +mentioned some of the movies accessories he had purchased and told of +some novel features in the way of films for which he had contracted. + +"I tell you, Pep, we're in for the best or nothing this time; eh?" +questioned Randy, almost as much excited as his chums over the prospects +of the new Wonderland. + +"Oh, I'm 'way up in the clouds all of the time," piped Pep. "Why, I'll +feel like a girl just going into society. I'm going to call it a short +day and quit. There are some groceries to order, so I'll attend to that +and we'll take in the beach this evening." + +"Yes, we've earned a little recreation, I think," agreed Randy. + +Pep started off, whistling like some happy lark. It was then five +o'clock in the afternoon and he was due to return in half an hour. +Double that time passed on, however, yet he did not appear. + +"Wonder why Pep doesn't show up?" ruminated Randy. "It's time he did, as +we wanted to get an early start." + +At half past six Randy was nervous and a little put out. At seven +o'clock he put on his cap and started to lock up to go in quest of his +missing comrade. + +Just as he came out on the broad planking leading from the boardwalk to +the entrance to the store, a man hailed him. He was a stout, lumbering +old fellow whom Randy had seen before. + +"Hi!" he hailed, "you remember me; don't you?" + +"Why yes," nodded Randy. "You are the man Mr. Jolly traded his rig with +for our furniture." + +"That's it," nodded the man. "I say, I thought I'd come and tell you. It +was near my place that the accident happened." + +"What accident?" challenged Randy sharply. + +"Automobile--that young fellow that's joshing and jollying all the +time----" + +"You mean Pep--Pepperill Smith?" asked Randy. + +"That's him, I remember hearing Jolly call him by that name. Well, it +was him that got hurt and----" + +"Hurt!" cried Randy, alarmed at the word--"When? How? Where?" + +"About an hour ago, by an automobile in front of my place," was the +reply. + +"Was he--was Pep seriously hurt?" faltered Randy. + +"Not but what he could walk and sass the chauffeur, and all that; but I +reckon one hand was pretty badly crushed. The reason I came to tell you +was, that isn't all of it. From what I hear he is kidnapped." + + + + +CHAPTER IX--PEP IN CLOVER + + +"Kidnapped!" repeated Randy, in a hollow tone. + +The furniture man nodded his head assentingly. He was big and fat and +had evidently come in a hurry. He had been blunt, but confused in +telling his story. Now he took a long breath to begin again. + +Randy felt his heart sink. Everything had been going so well that the +sudden news of an interruption to their buoyant progress chilled him +through sheer contrast. He fancied all kinds of mishaps, and, seizing +his visitor by the sleeve, pulled it in a worried way. + +"Tell me all about it--quick," he demanded. + +"Thought I had, but I guess you didn't get it straight. This Pep of +yours was passing my place when I heard a woman shriek a bit ahead. She +had left her child in a baby carriage while she went into a dry goods +store. There came a whiff of wind down the street just as she came out. +I don't wonder she hollered out, for that baby carriage was shooting +across the street like a feather in a tornado." + +"But--Pep?" urged Randy, breathlessly. "What of him?" + +"He saw it in a flash. The woman stood motionless and screaming. This +Pep made a sprint. I never saw anything done so splendidly. In a flash +he slid over the pavement--just seemed to fly over the street, making for +that baby carriage. No wonder he hurried and no wonder the woman +screamed, for exactly at that instant a great red touring car came +tearing around the corner. It held the chauffeur and a fine looking old +gentleman, who just rose up in his seat with a yell as he saw that baby +carriage directly in the path of the machine. + +"There wasn't even time for the chauffeur to move the wheel. I actually +shut my eyes, thinking the smash was bound to come. I don't know how the +lad did it, but when I opened them, just cold with horror, there he was +lying on the ground and the baby carriage spinning safe and sound across +the street." + +"How badly was Pep hurt?" inquired Randy, his face pale with suspense. + +"I heard someone in the crowd say his wrist was broken. It seems, at the +risk of his own life, he had made that dash for the baby carriage and +given it a push out of the way of the auto just as it was pouncing down +upon it." + +"Where is Pep now?" asked Randy. + +"Why, that is the queer part of it. The passenger in the machine jumped +out and picked him up. He lifted him into the auto. He didn't seem to +want to go with the man, but they speeded up and I supposed they were +going to bring him here, or to the nearest doctor, or the hospital. A +police officer came up right after the accident on a motorcycle. He made +some inquiries, took some notes and went away again. Just now he came +back and said that he could find no trace of machine or boy, and that he +had learned that the auto had been driven out of town on the west road +as fast as it could go. Don't you see--kidnapped!" + +"I don't!" cried Randy almost frantically, "Wasn't it enough that they +ran him down, without carrying him away nobody knows where? Oh, I must +get straight on his track--I must find Pep!" + +"The police didn't," suggested the furniture man. + +"I don't care for that--I will!" + +"Mebbe I'd better give you my address," said his visitor. "There's been +several accidents here lately. It's mostly tourists passing through the +town who are reckless about how they drive--rich old fellows who don't +value life or limb, and get out of the way fast as they can when they've +done any damage. I suppose the man who owns the machine that hurt your +friend had heard of how one or two before him had been arrested and +fined and forced to pay heavy damages, and just thought he'd grab up the +lad and get him and himself out of the way before any investigation was +made." + +"It's shameful!" exclaimed Randy, wrought up now to the highest pitch of +excitement and indignation. "Poor Pep! He may be suffering tortures and +all those inhuman wretches think about is getting clear of being found +out. I'll find him--I'll run down his kidnappers and bring them to +account, even if the police can't." + +The excited Randy did not even wait for the furniture man, but ran down +the boardwalk and then in the direction of the man's store fast as he +could. There was not much to learn there outside of what he already +knew. His next call was at the police station. He was incensed at the +indifference of the officers. They had investigated the accident as far +as required, they claimed. The injured boy had been taken out of their +jurisdiction and that seemed to lead them to believe that it ended their +responsibility. + +Randy knew the direction the red automobile had taken. He proceeded to a +livery garage where motorcycles were on rent, and made himself known. He +was well up in running the machine and was soon speeding on the trail of +his missing chum, as he supposed and hoped. The west road out of Seaside +Park was the best in the section. It ran to Brenton and beyond that to +the large cities. There was every reason to believe that the kidnappers, +if such they were, would favor a smooth, easily traversed highway over +inferior dirt and stone roads that ran parallel. + +Randy stopped at the first little town he came to and made some +inquiries, but they availed him nothing. Five miles further on, however, +he got a clue. Here were crossroads and a "Roadside Rest," a general +halting place for road-men. Several autos were in view, their occupants +taking lunch in a pavilion near the hotel or walking about stretching +their limbs. + +A man who wore a banded cap and a close fitting coat flitted around here +and there in an important way, and Randy decided he must be a sort of +major domo about the place. + +"I would like to inquire about an automobile that passed or stopped here +within the past hour," spoke Randy, approaching this man. + +"Where from? What number?" inquired the latter. + +"I don't know," explained Randy, "but I will give you the best +description I can from heresay. It was a big red car, and besides the +chauffeur and passenger there was a boy about my age who had got his arm +hurt----" + +"Oh, I know now," interrupted the man--"you mean Colonel Tyson's car. +They stopped to get a wet towel soaked in ice water to wrap around the +boy's wrist, I fancy, for he was holding one arm and seemed in pain." + +"Yes, yes--that is my friend," declared Randy hastily. "Which way did the +machine go?" + +"To Brenton, of course, where it belongs." + +"Then you know its owner?" + +"Everybody knows him--Tyson, the millionaire. Used to be a big bond man +in New York City." + +"Thank you," said Randy and was off on his travels again. "I hope Pep +isn't hurt badly," he mused. "He doesn't seem to be from what I hear; +but why is this rich old fellow running away with him?" + +It was quite late in the evening when Randy reached Brenton. He felt +easier, now that he seemed sure of locating his chum, or at least +running down the people who had carried him away. Once at Brenton there +was no difficulty in finding the Tyson home. It was a very fine mansion +with big grounds about it, but Randy was not at all awed by that. He ran +his machine up to the stone porch and ascending the steps rang the door +bell. A servant answered the summons. + +"Is Mr. Tyson at home?" Randy inquired. + +"He is at home, yes," replied the servant, studying critically the +dust-covered caller. "Business with him?" + +"I have. You just tell him I am Randy Powell, from Seaside Park, and I +came about the automobile accident." + +The servant left Randy standing in the vestibule until a portly, +consequential-looking man appeared. He viewed Randy in a shrewd, +supercilious way. + +"What's your business?" he challenged crisply. + +"Are you Mr. Tyson?" + +"Never mind that. What are you after?" + +"But I do mind it," retorted Randy boldly. "If you are Mr. Tyson, it was +your machine that ran down a friend of mine back at Seaside Park a +couple of hours ago, and I want to know what you have done with him." + +Mr. Tyson looked a trifle flustered; then very much annoyed. He said: + +"I've done nothing with him. He just came along. Say, I hope you haven't +gone and stirred up a lot of notoriety and trouble for me along the +line." + +"Why should I--unless you deserve it." + +"Ha--hum!" muttered the millionaire. "See here, come in. You look +reasonable--more so than that young wildcat friend of yours unless he has +his own way." + +Mr. Tyson led Randy into a magnificently furnished room, nodded him to a +chair and sat down facing him. + +"See here," he spoke, "you just tell me how much rumpus you have raised +about this unfortunate affair." + +"I've raised no rumpus," declared Randy. "I've simply run down your +automobile, which the police of Seaside Park didn't seem able or +inclined to do." + +"I'm glad of that," said Mr. Tyson, apparently greatly relieved, "and +there will be no trouble at all in fixing up things satisfactorily all +around. You would have heard from me before midnight, for this Pep--ought +to be called Pepper--just ordered that his friend at Seaside Park--I +suppose it's you?" + +"Yes, it's me," declared Randy. + +"Well, he wanted word sent to you." + +"Is he badly hurt?" inquired Randy solicitously. + +"Not at all--but that isn't it. See here, lad, because I'm supposed to +have a lot of money I seem to be a mark for everybody. I have been +unfortunate enough to have various accidents with my machine. A month +ago I ran down a man. About all he did was to stub his toe, but he's +sued me for twenty thousand dollars damages and has a doctor ready to +swear he is crippled for life. Last week I ran over a valuable dog at +Seaside Park and the magistrate fined me fifty dollars for speeding over +the limit, and said if there was another complaint he would give me a +jail sentence. Ugh! fine thing to be rich; isn't it?" + +Mr. Tyson really looked so disgusted that Randy could not refrain from +smiling. + +"The newspapers got hold of it and pictured me as a regular ogre. Now it +wasn't our fault at all when this friend of yours got hurt this evening. +He had no business in the street--don't you see?" + +"Say, if he hadn't got there where would that child in the baby carriage +be?" demanded Randy indignantly. + +"Yes, that's true," agreed the millionaire slowly, "but even there they +could not legally hold us. The baby carriage had no lights on it. Let +all that go, though. This Pep was a brave fellow to risk his life for +the child, and I'm glad he did it. My lawyer, after the last case, +though, told me what to do in future accidents, so I followed his +advice. I captured your friend and I intend to keep him captured." + +"I don't think you will," began Randy, rising wrathfully to his feet. +"He's a poor boy, but he's got some friends and----" + +"Pish! Don't get excited. Keep cool, lad, hear me through. We rushed +your friend here, summoned the best surgeon in Brenton, and this Pep of +yours is snug and comfortable as a dormouse--in bed in the best room in +the house. I'm going to give him the best of care and pay him for any +loss of time he may sustain. Isn't that fair?" + +"Why--I suppose so," admitted Randy. "Only--what does Pep say?" + +"Well, at first he was going to fight us, lame hand and all. Then the +surgeon talked some sense into him, by telling him that if he would use +a little care and not use his arm he would be well as ever inside of a +week. If he didn't, he may have all kinds of complications in the +future. To be frank with you, all I care for is to turn the boy out +sound and well, so he can't be coming along later on with another of +those twenty thousand dollar damage suits." + +"Can I see him?" inquired Randy. + +"You surely can," replied Mr. Tyson with alacrity, "and I hope you will +cooeperate with us in urging him to stay here and follow the directions +of the doctor." + +Mr. Tyson had not overstated the case when he told Randy that Pep was +well cared for. As Randy entered a great luxuriously furnished room +upstairs he saw his comrade propped up in bed, his arm in a sling and a +table spread with dainties directly at hand. + +"You tell him to stay here," whispered Mr. Tyson in Randy's ear, and +left the two boys to themselves. + +Pep grinned as he welcomed Randy. He moved his injured arm to show that +he was by no means helpless. + +"I'm booked here for a week, Randy," were his first words--"but why not? +There won't be much to do around the new show for some days to come, and +if there was I wouldn't be any help with my crippled arm." + +Then Pep in a modest way went on to give details of the accident. + +"You see," were his concluding remarks, "I'm comfortable and well cared +for here and, as the surgeon says, I might have trouble with my arm if I +got careless with it. Mr. Tyson says he will pay me for any loss time, +so don't worry about me. I'll show up at Seaside Park before the week is +over with a neat little lot of cash in my pocket, and fresh and strong +to help get the new Wonderland in ship shape order." + +Thus Pep dismissed the incident of the hour, so Randy went "home," +rather lonesome without his chum. Neither guessed for a moment that +there was to grow out of the circumstance something destined to affect +their whole business career. + + + + +CHAPTER X--THE PRESS AGENT + + +"I hardly know how to thank you, Mr. Vincent," spoke Frank Durham. + +"Don't try to," replied the ventriloquist, in his usual offhand way. + +Frank, practically a beginner in the profession, and Hal Vincent, a +seasoned graduate, were saying good-bye to each other on the steps of +the building which contained the offices and warerooms of the great +National Film Exchange. + +For several days the ears of our young hero had buzzed with little +besides "movies" chatter. When Frank had first gone into the business +and had bid in at auction the outfit now at Fairlands, he had learned +the basis of the trade through an interesting day spent at a motion +picture supply house in the small city near his home. He found New York +on a larger scale, however. Even within the few months that had elapsed +since he and his chums had started the Wonderland photo playhouse there +had been improvements, innovations and new wrinkles without number. + +Frank now came in contact with these. It was a great advantage to him +that he had Vincent to act as guide and adviser. The latter entered into +the spirit of the occasion with the zest of an expert showing a novice +the ground he has so often traversed. Vincent was not only active and +obliging, but he was observant and shrewd. He knew the best supply +sources in the city and how to handle them. + +It embarrassed Frank the first time Vincent, in his breezy showman's +way, introduced him to the proprietor of the National Film Exchange. +According to the versatile and voluble ventriloquist, Frank and his +chums, Randy and Pep, were young prodigies who had built up a mammoth +photo playhouse enterprise at Fairlands out of nothing and had scored a +phenomenal success. And still further, according to Vincent, Frank had +secured a most favorable contract at Seaside Park, and was about to reap +profits from a project that would set the pace in summer outing resorts +for the season. + +"Now this is confidential, Byllesby," observed Vincent, buttonholing the +movies man and assuming a dreadfully important air, as he glanced +mysteriously about the place as if fearful of eavesdroppers--"this is +probably one of a chain of shows Durham may manage. Don't lisp it to +anybody, but one of his backers is a lady--well, I think she is rated at +a cool half-million in real coin. You won't have to wait for your money +from the Durham combination, so hand out only the best and latest on the +closest terms--understand?" + +As said, Frank found that even within the six months that had passed +since he had bought their original motion picture outfit science had +been busy in the improvement of old and the invention of new devices. +Kinetoscopes, cameragraphs--all the varied list of projecting apparatus +had progressed fast. It kept his mind on the alert to catch the +explanations of the newest thing in condensing glasses, front and rear; +jackets and tubes, transformers, shutters, iris dissolvers, knife +switches and slide carriers. It was all part of an education in the line +of business activity he had adopted, however, and Frank drank in lots of +knowledge during that New York trip. + +He was full of pleasant anticipation and eager to rejoin his friends at +Seaside Park, to go over with them his list of the wonderful things +purchased and tell them about the satisfactory arrangements he had made +for new feature films as they came along. He shook Vincent's hand +heartily in parting. Frank added a word or two, telling how he hoped +they would see the ventriloquist down at Seaside Park soon. + +"I have a fair chance of getting something out of the road venture that +burst up and left me stranded when I ran across Jolly," explained +Vincent. "As soon as that is settled, which may be in less than a week, +I'll be down at the new Wonderland--don't doubt it. Move on a bit; will +you, Durham?" Vincent spoke in a quick undertone, his eyes fixed on an +approaching pedestrian who at once attracted Frank's attention. + +He was the typical tragedian out at elbows, but showing his +consciousness of being "an actor." He wore one rusty glove. The other +hand was thrust into the breast of his tightly buttoned frock coat. His +hair was long, and his hat, once a silk tile, was dented and yellowed by +usage. Frank's companion did not escape. The eagle eye of the oncomer +was fixed upon him and would not leave him. + +"Ah, Hal!" he hailed, extending his gloved hand with a bow of real +elegance--"howdy. Off the circuit? So am I. I see you are eating," and he +glanced up and down the new suit of clothes Vincent had been enabled to +purchase from his share in the bird house speculation. + +"That's about all I am able to arrange for," declared Vincent, bluntly. + +"I expect a check," proceeded the newcomer grandly. "Avaricious, but +wealthy relative. If I could anticipate till to-morrow, now----" + +"Not from me, I can tell you that," interrupted Vincent definitely. + +"Only a dollar. You see----" + +"A dime wouldn't make any difference until I get my settlement from the +people who sent me out to starve," insisted Vincent. + +Frank was interested in the odd, airy individual, who struck him as a +rather obsolete type of the fraternity. He smiled, and this was +encouragement for the frayed actor, who touched his hat again and +extended his gloved hand, this time towards Frank, with the words: + +"Surely we have met somewhere on the boards? Was it in Philadelphia, +when I was press agent for the United Thespian? Perhaps that will assist +your memory." + +Frank good-naturedly accepted and glanced over a very dirty and worn +card bearing the inscription: "Roderick James Booth: Press Agent." Frank +shook his head, + +"I have not had the honor of meeting you before, Mr. Booth," he said. + +"In the line, I suppose?" insinuated Booth. + +"If you mean of theatricals--hardly," replied Frank. "I have done a +little in the motion picture field." + +"Ah!" exclaimed Booth, with great animation, striking a pose--"there, +indeed, is a field. Young man; I proclaim a wonderful future for the +photo playhouse. Let me see, where are you located now--and the name, I +didn't quite catch the name?" + +"I am Frank Durham," replied our young hero, "and with some others +expect to open a new motion picture show at Seaside Park." + +"Ah, a hit! Think of it! Beside the soothing waves, dancing breezes, +vast throngs, stupendous profits. Only one thing lacking--an able press +agent. Sir," and Booth raised himself to his loftiest height, "I papered +Baltimore till the house was jammed. The United Thespians--sir, a moment, +aside. Mr. Vincent will pardon us. Could you anticipate----" + +Frank knew what was coming. The man did not look like a drinker and he +did look hungry. Vincent nudged Frank warningly, but Frank could not +resist a generous impulse. + +Mr. Booth almost danced as a crisp dollar bill was placed in his hand. +Then he took out a pencil and memorandum book. Very carefully and +laboriously he began to write: + +"Durham, Seaside Park. I. O. U. one dollar. Mem: suggest plan for +publicity campaign." + +"You've put your foot in it this time, Durham," exclaimed Vincent almost +wrathfully, as with a great flourish Booth went on his way. + +"Oh, pshaw!" laughed Frank, "the poor fellow probably needs a square +meal." + +"Yes, but you needn't have told him who you were and about the new +Wonderland. Why, within an hour he will be telling his friends of a new +opening at Seaside Park--engaged for the season--forfeit money already +paid. Besides that, I wouldn't wonder to see him put in an appearance +personally with one of his wild publicity schemes direct at Seaside +Park. Oh, you can laugh, but once he sets out on your trail, and you +encourage him, you'll find it no easy matter to shake him off," a +prediction by the way that Frank and his chums had reason to recall a +little later. + +Frank was in fine spirits when he reached Seaside Park. Everything had +gone famously with him in the city. He had been introduced to a man who +operated a string of summer resort motion picture shows, and he had +gleaned an immense amount of information. The man had reduced his +special line to a science and had made money at it, and Frank was +greatly encouraged. + +It was late in the afternoon when he started from the depot for the new +quarters. He was pleased and satisfied as his eye ran over the front of +the old store. Various touches of paint had made the entrance +attractive, the broad windows bore each a fine plain sign, and a very +ornamental ticket booth was in place. Frank found the front doors +partially open, and passed the length of the great room to come unawares +upon his friends in the living quarters at the rear. + +"Good!" shouted a familiar voice, and Ben Jolly, wearing a kitchen apron +and just getting supper ready, waved a saucepan over his head in +jubilant welcome. + +"I say, you people have been doing some work here since I left," cried +Frank, as he shook hands with Randy. "Why, where is Pep?" + +"There's a story to that," explained Randy. "He's safe and sound, but +may not be here till to-morrow or the next day." + +"Gone home to see his folks?" hazarded Frank. + +"No, not that," dissented Randy. "Tell you, Frank, it's quite a long +story. Suppose we get the meal on the table, and seated comfortably, and +we'll all have a lot to tell; eh?" + +"Just the thing," voted Jolly with his usual enthusiasm. "I've got a +famous rice pudding on the bill of fare, Durham, and I'll guarantee +you'll enjoy a good home meal once more." + +"That's just what I will," agreed Frank. + +He sat down and busied himself sorting some bills and circulars with +which his pockets were filled. Then, as the smoking viands were placed +on the table, he joined his friends. + +"Now then, Durham, you first," directed Jolly. "How's the New York end +of the proposition?" + +"Famous," reported Frank heartily. "I've made some fortunate discoveries +and investments--pass the potatoes; will you, Randy?" + +"Hold on!" cried a familiar voice--"I'm on the programme for some of +that, too!" + + + + +CHAPTER XI--CROSSED WIRES + + +"Why, hello, Pep!" exclaimed Frank in joyful surprise, jumping up from +the table and greeting the missing chum with a hearty handshake. + +"Hold on--go a little easy on that hand," spoke the unexpected guest. +"It's the one I hurt in that automobile accident, you know, and not +quite as strong as it used to be." + +"What automobile accident?" inquired Frank in surprise. + +"Oh, that's so," broke in Randy quickly--"Frank has just got back from +the city and hasn't heard of it yet. We didn't expect you so soon. You +wrote us yesterday you wouldn't leave Brenton until Saturday." + +"Humph! Had to," said Pep with a wry grimace. + +"How is that?" + +"Fired," explained Pep tersely, and looking as if he had not enjoyed the +experience one bit. "Say, don't bother me now about it. I'm hungry as a +bear, and had to walk eight miles to get here before dark, and I'll feel +better natured when I've had something to eat and a little rest." + +Ben Jolly arched his eyebrows in an inquiring way and Randy looked Pep +over sharply. Jolly had just returned from Fairlands that morning, and +Randy had heard from Pep by mail only twice during his sojourn at the +Tyson home at Brenton. From all he had learned and seen during his brief +visit there, Randy had been led to believe that Pep would return with +waving colors. He would not only be mended up, as Randy had reason to +figure it out, but would have a comfortable sum of money representing +lost time. + +Pep, however, did not look like a favorite of fortune. He used both +hands with equal celerity in dispatching the meal, and his injured wrist +seemed to give him no inconvenience or pain. His face was glum, however, +and when he spoke of being "fired" Randy knew that something was up. + +"Tell us about this accident of yours, Pep," urged Frank as all hands +got over the first promptings of appetite. + +"Randy will," snapped Pep. + +Randy was agreeable to the suggestion. He was glad to descend on the +heroism of his chum, and dwelt somewhat upon the bravery of Pep in +risking his life for the little child in the baby carriage. Randy led +the course of the narrative to his visit to Brenton, the peculiar +situation in which he found Pep, and detailed the contents of the two +letters he had received from their absent partner. + +"Well, Pep," hailed Frank heartily, at the end of the story. "I suppose +you've turned out an adopted son or great favorite with this Mr. Tyson." + +Pep had just finished a second helping of Jolly's famous rice pudding +and was ready to talk now. + +"Oh, yes, I have! See me!" he retorted in a scornful and disgusted way. +"Say, the next fellow who plays me for an invalid will be a good one, I +tell you. It's all right up to where Randy left me in the arms of luxury +at the Tyson residence. Yes, it was all right for two days after that. +Then I got into my usual trim--restless. Of course I couldn't work with +my bad arm, but it didn't bother me a bit. I told Mr. Tyson so. He spoke +to that old fogy surgeon of his and after a regular battle we came to +terms." + +"What terms, Pep?" inquired Frank. + +"I wanted something to do. I was dead sick of hanging around doing +nothing. It seems that Mr. Tyson runs a broker's office in Brenton. It's +a branch of a big Wall Street concern in New York City. They do some +business, too, and he hires a lot of clerks. Well, the surgeon said that +as long as I didn't use my bad arm it was all right, so old Tyson takes +me down to the office. First day he put me at the information desk. Then +the boy who held that position regularly came back and he set me at one +of the telephones." + +"What doing, Pep?" inquired Jolly. + +"Taking quotations and orders on the long distance. The 'phone was +arranged on a standard and I didn't have to handle it at all. I had a +pad of paper at my side. All I had to do was to write out the +quotations, or orders. Then I would touch an electric bell and a boy +would take them to the manager." + +"Sort of stock exchange business; eh?" propounded Jolly. + +"Yes, that way," assented Pep. "The first day I got through grandly. Old +Tyson told me I had the making of a smart man in me and advised me to +cut away from the movies and become a second Vanderbilt. They kept me at +the 'phone yesterday, too. It's too bad they did," added Pep grievously. +"I reckon they think so now." + +"Explain, Pep," urged the curious Randy. + +"Well, about two o'clock in the afternoon there was a rush of business. +Everybody in the office was busy. I heard the manager say that it looked +like a regular Black Friday, whatever that was, the way stocks and bonds +were being juggled. Right when everything was going at lightning speed +and the office was in a turmoil, long distance says: 'Buy for Vandamann +account at twenty'--and then there was a hiss and a jangle--crossed +wires--see?" + +Pep's engrossed auditors nodded silently, eager to hear the remainder of +his story. + +"Then I got the balance of the order--as I supposed--'one thousand shares +Keystone Central.' Orders came piling up and I had all I could do to +write them down. 'Buy one thousand Keystone Central at twenty' went to +the manager with the rest. I thought no more of it until this morning. I +was at my 'phone thinking of how I'd be home with the rest of you +Saturday, when the manager, mad as a hornet, came to me. 'You see Mr. +Tyson just as quick as you can,' he snapped at me, and I did. Mr. Tyson +had just found out that I had mixed orders. I talked about crossed wire, +but he wouldn't hear a word of it. 'The idea of loading us down with +that bustling stock at twenty, when it was offered on the exchange at +three cents yesterday!' he howled. 'Here get out of here and stay out of +here. And here, you've cost a pretty penny, and you can take that stock +for your pay.' And with that," concluded Pep, "he hurled this package at +me, and I'm a bloated bondholder." + +Pep drew a little package of green and yellow documents from his pocket. +He flung them on the table in a disgruntled way. Ben Jolly picked them +up and looked them over. + +"Heard of the Keystone Central," he observed--"lot of watered stock and +new people trying to squeeze out the old shareholders. Maybe a few +dollars in these, Pep." + +But the disgusted Pep waved documents and remark away with disdain. + +"Burn 'em up; throw 'em away--don't care what you do with them," he +declared. "I am sick of the whole business. I want to forget how mean +money makes a millionaire, and just get back into the gladness and +bustle of the old motion picture proposition." + +"All right, Pep," said Jolly blandly, pocketing the papers. "I'll just +take care of the documents for you. They may bob up in a new way some +time; you never can tell." + +"What about moving the outfit down from Fairlands, Mr. Jolly?" here +interrupted Frank. + +"That's so--my report is due; isn't it? Why, I've arranged for +everything. Boxed up and crated what there was in good shape, and expect +they'll arrive to-morrow or the next day." + +"By rail, of course?" + +"Oh, yes. It's a long distance, there's a lot of bad roads and hills to +climb, and freight was the only way. I left the chairs. It would cost as +much to move them as they were worth." + +"We had better stock up new as to the seating feature," said Frank, +"seeing that we need double what we had at Fairlands. Well, boys, now to +show you what I have accomplished." + +Frank had done so much that he held their fascinated attention unbroken +for well nigh an hour. Jolly smiled and nodded his approval as Frank +told in detail of his negotiations with the supply houses in the city. +Pep's eyes snapped with anticipation of the brilliant way in which the +new Wonderland was going to open. + +"It looks all smooth sailing; doesn't it now?" Randy submitted in his +optimistic way. + +"How soon will we open?" pressed the eager Pep. + +"I should think we would be all ready within a week or ten days." + +"Oh, pshaw! have to wait that long?" mourned Pep. + +"You want things right; don't you?" asked Randy. + +"Oh, of course, of course," responded Pep, "only every day counts. +Before we know it someone else will break in and get all the cream off +the proposition." + +"No, no, friend Pep," laughed Ben Jolly confidently. "We've got too good +a start in the movies race at Seaside Park, and we're bound to win." + + + + +CHAPTER XII--BUSINESS RIVALS + + +"Put the brake on, Pep!" sang out Randy. + +"What's the trouble now?" inquired Ben Jolly. "Someone trying to kidnap +you again?" + +Frank, Randy and Jolly, on their way to see about their goods at the +freight house, had scattered precipitately as a bounding figure turned a +street corner and almost crashed into them. + +"Glad I found you. Say, what did I tell you?" exclaimed the youthful +sprinter. "You come with me and I'll show you something that will open +your eyes." + +"Later, Pep," said Frank. "We are on our way to arrange for carting the +traps from Fairlands up to the playhouse." + +"It won't take a minute," declared Pep. "It's only a block or two away. +Say, you'd better come. I'll show you a sight that will set you +thinking." + +"All right, we'll give you five minutes, Pep," said Frank indulgently. + +"And don't forget that I told you so!" + +"Told us what?" interrogated Randy. + +"You'll find out in a minute." + +Pep piloted the group in his usual impetuous way. Quite a busy boardwalk +diverged from the main boardwalk thoroughfare, and some minor stores and +restaurants of the cheaper class occupied the first block. + +About midway of the square was a vacant building, once a dime museum. +Frank and his friends had noticed this in their search for a business +location. It was off the main route of travel, however, and the building +was old, ramshackly and set down from the street level, the lot lying in +a depression in the ground so that one had to descend three steps to the +entrance. + +"There you are," pronounced Pep in an impressive way. "What do you say +to it?" + +Frank, Randy and Ben Jolly came to a halt as they faced an electric sign +running out from the front of the building. + +"'National,'" read Randy--"'National' what?" + +"Photo playhouse," asserted Pep. + +"Do you know that?" challenged Jolly. + +"I do. When I passed by a man who was wiring the sign told me that a big +New York fellow and a Seaside Park party were going to open up next +week." + +"The mischief!" exclaimed Randy, roused up. + +"Say," remarked Jolly, bristling up at this hint of rivalry, "we want to +get busy." + +"Oh, it doesn't alarm me," spoke Frank. "In the first place it is off +the mainly traveled route. Besides, the neighborhood is cheap and I +would imagine they wouldn't get more than a nickel." + +"It's worth looking up--always keep track of what your competitors are +doing," advised Jolly. + +"Why I say," suddenly remarked Frank--"their sign is wrong." + +"How wrong?" questioned Randy, and then he added: "That's so: 'NATONAL.' +They've left out an I." + +"It's so," cried Pep, "maybe they bought some second hand letters and +there wasn't any I's in the lot." + +"'Big New York fellow,'" observed Jolly thoughtfully. "Wonder who he is? +Maybe you stirred things up in the city, Durham, and started somebody on +our trail." + +"Well, we must expect competition," replied Frank. "It shan't scare us." + +"No, we'll stick to a first-class basis and be the leader," declared +Randy. + +"You fellows go on," spoke Pep. "I'll sort of spy out the enemy's +country--hey?" + +"I would like to know who is behind this 'National' with an I missing," +said Frank, and they turned about and resumed their way to the freight +depot, leaving Pep to his own devices. + +Pep was not afraid to venture anywhere or address anybody. He was inside +the old building and had accosted the man he had seen outside within +five minutes after his friends left him. The man knew all about the +proposed extensive refitting of the old barn of a place, but did not +know who was backing the new show outside of a big man from New York and +a party with money at Seaside Park. Pep pumped him dry so far as the +arrangements for the show were concerned. + +"Hello, Pep," hailed him just as he went outside again. + +"That isn't my name--it's Pepperill," retorted Pep, resenting the mistake +and the familiarity. He was in a fiery mood just now, but as he +recognized young Peter Carrington and noticed that he was headed for the +building he had just left, Pep decided that he would lose nothing by +using a little tact. + +"Well, that's all right," observed Peter in his usual airy manner--"been +into my show?" + +"Your show?" + +"That's what," and Peter poked his cap back on his head, stuck his +thumbs in his armpits, and grinned at Pep in a patronizing sort of way. + +"Oh, I see," said Pep, "you're the Seaside Park capitalist I heard +about?" + +"Did some one honest say that?" inquired Peter, his vanity immensely +gratified. "Well, I have invested something--got a little money from my +aunt, although she doesn't know that I've gone into the show business. +She'd be mad if she knew I was going to set up opposition to you +fellows, for she likes you. Business is business, though. You fellows +wouldn't take me in and I had to get some other partners; didn't I?" + +"Who are your partners?" probed Pep innocently. + +"Well, one of them is Greg Grayson. He's from your town. You know him?" + +"Slightly," assented Pep, his lips drawing together grimly. + +"A friend of his has invested something, too," rambled on the effusive +Peter. "Our mainstay, though, is a New York man. They say he's 'way up +in the moving picture line." + +"What is his name?" pressed Pep. + +"Mr. John Beavers--ever hear of him?" + +"I don't think I have." + +"That's because you're new in the business," declared Peter. "He says +he's the first man who ever started a moving picture show." + +"Also a capitalist, I suppose?" insinuated Pep. + +"Well, he's got a lot of investments that have tied up his ready cash, +he says, but he will stand back of us if we need more money." + +"Well," said Pep, "I must be moving on. The more the merrier, you know." + +"I must tell you," hurried on Peter--"We're going to have two private +boxes in our show." + +"What for?" + +"Oh, to make a hit. Friends, members of the press and all that--see? I +say, Smith, I hope you're going to exchange professional courtesies." + +"What do you mean?" demanded Pep. + +"Complimentaries, and all that." + +"I don't think we are going to have any complimentaries," replied Pep. +"Our space will be for sale; not to give away. That fellow run a photo +playhouse!" snorted Pep wrath fully to himself, as he left the spot. +"Why, he hasn't got the gumption to run a peddler's cart, or a +shoestring stand!" + +Pep reached the freight house just as his friends were leaving it. They +had arranged for the reception and delivery of their traps from +Fairlands to the new playhouse. This meant busy times, getting in order +to open up for business. Pep told of his new discoveries as to the +personnel of the rival firm of the "Natonal." Randy flared up at once. + +"It's half spite work," he declared. "This Peter is mad because we +wouldn't take him into our scheme and Greg Grayson owes us a grudge, or +fancies he does, and wants to pay it back. He and his cronies were +always ready for any mean mischief back at Fairlands." + +"Oh, well, as long as it is fair business rivalry, who cares?" submitted +Jolly. "From the start they've made I don't think they will last long." + +"They will do all they can to annoy us while they do," declared Pep. + +"Did you tell young Carrington about the missing letter in the 'Natonal' +sign, Pep?" inquired Frank. + +"No, I didn't," replied Pep, ungraciously. "Think I'm around mending his +blunders? Humph! guess not. If I had, do you know what he would have +said?" + +"No; what, Pep?" pressed Randy, with a broad grin. + +"He'd say: 'Oh, yes, that's so. Anybody can see it's spelled wrong. +Didn't notice it before. Of course it should be "Natonel."'" + +All hands laughed at Pep's sally. Then Frank asked: + +"Did you ever hear of this John Beavers, Mr. Jolly?" + +"Never did, Durham. I wonder where the crowd picked him up? Don't think +he's a notable, though. Judging from the way he's letting them hold the +bag, I reckon he isn't much of a capitalist." + +They emerged upon the boardwalk as Jolly concluded his remarks. Pep was +the first to discover a commotion amid the crowds ahead. + +"There's some new excitement," he cried. "Let's hurry up and see what it +is." + +Just then a man dashed through the throng on a dead run. In hot pursuit +was a second individual, fast overtaking him and shouting as he +sprinted: + +"Stop that man!" + + + + +CHAPTER XIII--ALL READY! + + +The man in advance happened to cross a wet streak on the walk just as +Frank and his friends observed him. This was caused by the overflow of a +combination drinking fountain and horse trough. The man slipped and went +flat. In another minute, as he struggled to his feet, his pursuer +pounced upon him. + +"Why, look! Look!" ejaculated Pep. + +"It's Hal!" echoed Ben Jolly. + +Frank and Randy recognized their friend the ventriloquist +simultaneously. The former was a good deal surprised, for he had bade +Vincent good-bye in New York City within the past forty-eight hours. He +wondered what had brought Vincent to Seaside Park; and more than ever, +what his participation in the present incident might mean. + +"I've got you; have I?" stormed Vincent, making a grab at the fugitive +and seizing him by the arm. Then he whirled him around and transferred +his clutch to the throat of the man. "Now, then, you pull off that coat +in a jiffy, or I'll fling you out into the street." + +"Yes, yes, certainly--ssh! don't raise a row. Likely to be known here. +Going into business--hurt my reputation." + +"Your reputation, you miserable rat!" shouted Vincent, greatly excited. +"You've led me a fine chase; haven't you, after all I did for you! I +made up my mind, though, I'd find you and get back my property, if I had +to chase you half over the country." + +"Return coat in private--secluded spot." + +"Take it off now!" + +"Leaves me without any." + +"Take it off!" fairly yelled Vincent. Then, as the man obeyed he +wrenched it from his grasp, threw it to the pavement and grasping the +fugitive by the shoulders, ran him straight up to the watering trough. + +Splash! splash! splash! "Ooo--oof! Leggo! Murder!"--a wild riot of sounds +made the welkin ring. A fast-gathering mob bustled nearer. Dripping, +hatless, coatless, the helpless fugitive was given a shove down the +sidewalk by Vincent, who turned and confronted a police officer. + +"Hi, there!" challenged the latter sternly--"what's the trouble here?" + +"No trouble at all," retorted Vincent. "I've saved you that. That fellow +slinking out of sight between those two buildings stole my coat and I've +got it back--that's all." + +"A thief; eh?" + +"Oh, he's out of sight and I'm satisfied," advised Vincent. "I gave him +free lodging and feed in the city and he paid me back by robbing me. +We're square now and no need of your services, thank you. By the way, +though, you might glimpse him so as to be able to keep track of him. +He's a slippery customer to have in a town where there's even door mats +or lawn mowers lying around loose." + +Frank had picked up the coat from the pavement where Vincent had flung +it and he now offered it to him. + +"That you, Durham?" hailed the ventriloquist, mopping his perspiring +brow--"and the rest of the crowd? Howdy--I declare, I was ruffled. I can +stand anything but ingratitude." + +"Who is the fellow, anyway?" inquired Jolly. + +"Oh, he's been a hanger-on at the movies and a sponge and dead beat for +a long time. His name is Jack Beavers." + +"What's that?" cried Pep, sharply. "Why, that's the name of the 'big New +York man' who is going to start the new show with Peter Carrington and +his crowd." + +"What new show?" inquired Vincent, quickly. + +Pep told of the prospective photo playhouse that had come to their +attention that day. + +"Say," exclaimed Vincent, belligerently, when the information had been +accorded. "I'll follow this up and put that fellow out of business." + +"I wouldn't trouble, Mr. Vincent," said Frank. "We don't want to give +Carrington and his friends any excuse for claiming we are persecuting +them. If this man is the kind of fellow you describe, he will soon run +himself out." + +"And them, too," declared Jolly. + +"Birds of a feather--all of them," commented Pep. + +Vincent explained that he was due to return at once to the city. He +expected to have his claim against the company that had stranded him and +owed him money come up in court at any time, and wanted to be on hand to +present his evidence. The boys, however, prevailed upon him to accompany +them home and have at least one good, old-fashioned meal with them. Then +they all went with him to his train. + +"Hope to see you soon again, Hal," remarked Ben Jolly, as they shook +hands good-bye. + +"You will, Jolly--it's fate," declared Vincent. "I'm running up against +your crowd all the time, and I guess it's on the books. Bow-wow-wow!" +and he winked at Pep, always alive for mischief. + +"Meow!--p'st! pst!"--and a kitten in the arms of a fussy old man just +getting aboard of a coach arched its back at the well-counterfeited +imitation of the ventriloquist, while its mistress ran up the steps in a +violent flurry. + +"Let me out--let me out!" came next, apparently from a big sample case a +colored porter was carrying for a traveling salesman. Down came the case +with a slam and the porter stood regarding it with distended eyes and +quivering face. + +"Lawsy sakes, boss!" he gurgled--"what you done got in dere?" and very +gingerly and rapidly he carried the case into the coach when prevailed +upon to do so by its somewhat startled owner. + +Then with a smile the versatile Vincent jumped aboard of the train, +waving his hand cheerily in adieu to his smiling friends. + +"A jolly good fellow, that," commented Frank, as the train pulled out. +"I only hope we will be able to afford to engage his talents for the new +Wonderland." + +"You've just got to," vociferated Pep. "He's a regular drawing card and +a show all in himself." + +And now came the real work of the motion picture chums. The new photo +playhouse was all ready for the outfit, and when that was brought from +the freight house there was plenty of lifting, carrying and placing to +attend to. The big electric sign had to be reset and adjusted, the sheet +iron booth for the machine put in place, and for four days there were a +multitude of little things to accomplish. + +Jolly got track of a closed show at Brenton where the chairs were for +sale and drove an excellent bargain in their purchase, and also in the +delivery. + +It was Thursday night when for the first time the electric lights were +turned on, so the boys could see how the playhouse "showed up," as they +expressed it. They all went out in front, Jolly turning the switches +from inside. To the excited vision of the enthusiastic Pep the result +was a burst of glory. The sign came out boldly. The many windows of the +building, standing alone by itself as it did, made Randy think of a +palace. + +Frank was more than pleased. He was proud of his playhouse, proud of his +loyal friends and deeply gratified as a crowd began to gather and he +overheard their flattering and encouraging comments. + +"Why, I saw that blaze three blocks down the street," declared a +breathless urchin, coming up on a run. + +"Yes, it was so bright I thought it was a fire," echoed a companion. + +It was arranged that the three chums should visit their home town next +morning. Jolly was left in charge of the playhouse and told them to have +a good time and throw all care from their minds, as he would be able to +complete all the arrangements for the opening Monday night. + +The boys had a splendid time at Fairlands. They were highly elated over +their business progress in the new venture and infused their families +and friends with their own enthusiasm and delight. The Fairlands weekly +paper printed a nice article about "Three Rising Young Business Men of +Our Town," and altogether as they took the train to return to Seaside +Park each one of the trio felt that life was worth living and honorable +business success a boon well worth striving for. + +"And now for the grandest event of our life," announced Pep, +buoyantly--"the Opening Night!" + + + + +CHAPTER XIV--"THE GREAT UNKNOWN" + + +Pep Smith was up before the birds that memorable opening day. Pep had +gone through a like experience when the Wonderland motion picture show +was started at his home town, but that was a small proposition compared +to the present one. To Pep's way of thinking the world was waiting for +the great event. In his active mind he pictured eager hundreds counting +the slow hours of the day until the first films were flashed upon the +screen of the new photo playhouse. + +Pep bustled about, broke into whistling and stirred things up so +generally that he finally woke Ben Jolly. The latter was quite as +interested as Pep in the doings of the day, only he concealed the true +state of his feelings. He set about making preparations for breakfast as +an excuse for rousing Frank and Randy. + +"Well, Pep, this is the big day of our lives; eh?" propounded the +good-natured cook, while his accommodating assistant was setting the +table. + +"And the finest ever seen," replied Pep. "I never saw such a daybreak. +It's going to be just warm enough to make people want to stay out for +the evening breeze, and that means crowds passing our place until late." + +It was a jolly quartette that sat down at the table about five o'clock. +The rest over Sunday had done them all good. No details had been left to +chance or haste. Much satisfaction was felt in the knowledge that all +the work thus far had been done well, with no loose ends to bother about +when the programme began. + +"There's some song posters to put up--they are due in the morning mail," +observed Randy. + +"Yes, and if that new film winder is sent along we might install it in +place of the old one we brought from Fairlands," suggested Jolly. "I +suppose you want to go through a test before night, Durham?" + +"So as to give you the music cues? I think we had better," assented +Frank. "Besides, we had better see that the films run smooth." + +"I sent for a piano-tuning key to the city Saturday," said Jolly. "As +soon as I get it I will give the instrument a little overhauling. +Jolting over one hundred miles in a freight car doesn't improve the tone +any." + +Randy and Pep went out together about ten o'clock to get some posters +from the printers. Frank had brought from the city quite a lot of gaily +colored sheets with a blank space left at the top. Here the name and +location of the new playhouse had been inserted. It took the boys until +noon to get these placed. They posted them in nearly all the stores +along the boardwalk. The hotel they had stayed at let them put two in +the lobby, and they covered the town in a way satisfactory to +themselves. + +"Wonder what the National people are thinking of doing?" submitted +Randy, as they sat down to dinner. + +"They are going to open to-night--that's one thing I know," reported Pep. + +"They're not making much stir about it, then," observed Jolly. "I +haven't heard anybody speak about it, whom I ran across to-day." + +"I met the man who is doing their electrical work," said Pep. "He and I +are quite chummy. He told me they were in a fearful mix-up, with things +half provided for, but that they would surely open this evening." + +"What's it to be--a nickel?" inquired Jolly. + +"No a dime, he says; but he showed me a bunch of complimentaries and +laughed and said he'd sell them cheap. I haven't set my eyes on that +Peter and the fellow from Fairlands anywhere around town, but I guess +they're pitching in with the workman to get things in order." + +Wednesday of the week previous a neat postal card telling of the new +photo playhouse had been sent out to every name in the little local +directory of Seaside Park. The hotel men had taken a bunch of these and +had agreed to put one in the mail of each guest. The local paper +happened to be an exchange of the Fairlands weekly, and the editor of +the latter had given Frank a letter of introduction to the Seaside Park +publisher. As a result, the latter had copied the article about the +chums from the home paper and had also given a glowing description of +the new playhouse on the beach. + +It was about two o'clock in the afternoon when the lively Pep came into +the playhouse with a new excitement on his mind. + +"Say, fellows," he announced, "we're clear beat out." + +"Hi! what's up now?" asked Ben Jolly. + +"The National without an I has got us going. Just met Peter Carrington. +He's jumping around like a chicken on a hot griddle. Just had time to +flash by me and crow out, 'Watch out for our grand free concert +to-night.'" + +"Is that so--hum!" observed Jolly, musingly. "I wish I'd thought of that. +I suppose we ought to make some little noise the opening night. Too late +to arrange for it now, though. Just in time for practice, Pep. Put on +that best coat of yours and a flower in your buttonhole, and usher in +imaginary thousands, while Powell piles up uncounted dimes in the ticket +office and Durham shoots the films. Ready--go!" and with a crash of the +piano keys the volatile fellow began a lively overture. + +"A small but critical audience pronounced the rehearsal A.1.," declared +Jolly with a thrilling sweep of the piano keys as the three films were +reeled off from the operator's booth. "Slow on that last picture, +though, Durham. It's a good one and any audience will be glad to see it +prolonged." + +"Yes, being an ocean scene, I should think 'A Wrecker's Romance' would +take great with the smell of real salt water blowing right into the +playhouse," submitted Randy. + +"Where the old wrecker hails the ship in the fog I want to work in some +slow, solemn music," proceeded Jolly. "Eh? What's that? Mr. Jolly? +That's me. What is it, lad?" + +A messenger boy from the hotel had appeared at the entrance to the +playhouse and asked for Mr. Benjamin Jolly. He delivered a note to that +individual. The latter read it, his face breaking into a delighted +smile. + +"Say, my friends," he announced, seizing his hat and rushing +unceremoniously from their company, "rush call, important though +unexpected. Back soon," and Jolly chuckled and waved his hand gaily. + +He was all smiles and still chuckling when he returned, which was in +about an hour. They had decided on an early supper so as to have plenty +of leisure to look over things before the playhouse opened, at half past +six o'clock. As a starter, they planned to give three entertainments, +each beginning on the hour. + +"You seem to feel pretty good, Mr. Jolly?" observed Randy, as they +dispatched the appetizing meal, their helpful friend brimming over with +comical sayings. + +"Oh, I've got to live up to my name, you know," explained Jolly. +"Besides, always dreaming, you see. Been dreaming this afternoon of big +houses, delighted throngs, pleasant surprises," and the speaker +emphasized the last word, looking mysterious the while. + +Frank and Randy, full of the theme of the hour and its practical demands +upon their abilities, did not notice this particularly. Pep, however, +eyed Jolly keenly. He lingered as his chums got up from the table. +Somehow the exaggerated jollity of their lively pianist, to Pep's way of +thinking, was connected with the mysterious message he had received +earlier in the afternoon. Pep was an unusually observant lad. He was +furthermore given to indulging a very lively fancy. + +Now he went up to Jolly. Very searchingly he fixed his eye upon the +piano player. Very solemnly he picked up one of Jolly's hands and looked +up the arm of his coat. + +"Hello!" challenged Jolly--"what you up to now, you young skeesicks?" + +"Oh, nothing," retorted Pep--"just thought I'd like to see what you've +got up your sleeve, as the saying goes." + +"Ah," smiled Jolly--"suspect something; do you?" + +"Got a right to; haven't I?" questioned Pep, shrewdly. + +"Well," retorted Jolly, slowly, stroking his chin in a reflective way, +"I won't say--just now. I'll give you a tip, though, Pep." + +"Yes?" cried Pep, expectantly. + +"About six-thirty look out for something." + +"What will it be, now?" projected Pep, eagerly. + +"The Great Unknown," replied Ben Jolly, with an enigmatical smile. + + + + +CHAPTER XV--THE SPEAKING PICTURE + + +Pep was "on pins and needles" over the mysterious remark of Ben Jolly as +to "The Great Unknown." His friend was good natured about the matter, +but parried all further questions. Then all hands at the new Wonderland +became absorbed in their respective duties as partners and helpers in +making the opening night of their venture a pronounced success. + +Randy could not resist the temptation of taking a run past the National. +He came back with his face on a broad grin. + +"Well, Randy?" spoke Frank, expectantly. + +"Carrington and his crowd are all business," was the report. "I could +see Greg and another bustling about inside. Everything looks make-shift, +though, as if they had rushed things and weren't more than half ready to +begin. They were setting bare boards on top of kegs to answer for seats, +and they had mended one of their broken front windows with a piece of +canvas." + +"Did you see anything of the famous band we heard about?" inquired +Frank. + +"No, but at one side of the steps that lead into the National there was +a little platform with four chairs on it." + +"I think that is their stand for the free concert Peter Carrington was +bragging about," remarked Jolly. + +"Four, did you say?" queried Pep, quickly. "Why, say, I'll bet I know." + +"Know what, Pep?" inquired Jolly. + +"About their band. Bet you it's those four fellows who wander around +calling themselves the Little German Band. They play for lunches, or +take up a collection from the crowd, most any way to pick up a few +pennies. And, oh, such music! I heard them down at the merry-go-round +yesterday." + +"And that isn't all," added Randy. "Somewhere they have bought an old +transparency. Strung it clear across the front of the building. It reads +in big red letters, 'Grand Opening.' That's all right at a distance, but +as you get nearer up to it you can see where the color has faded where +they tried to paint out a smaller line. 'Free Lunch All Day' was the +line I made out plain as could be. You can imagine where it came from." + +Pep kept his watch in his hand and his eyes fixed upon it most of the +time for the next half-hour. He almost counted the seconds in his +impatience to see operations begin. He strolled restlessly between the +living room where his friends sat conversing, to the front of the place, +peering out of the windows and reporting progress at each trip: + +"Lot of people looking over the place. + +"Quite a crowd strolling by as if hanging around just waiting to get +into the show. + +"Dozen children in line waiting to buy tickets. + +"Looks to me as if the people are heading from the beach in this +direction. Hope we'll be able to handle the crowds. + +"Say, Frank, it's twenty minutes after six." + +"The crowds will keep, Pep," said Frank with a smile. "We've got to +follow up a system, you know." + +"For mercy's sake, what is that!" shouted Randy, suddenly. + +There had swept in through the open windows upon the evening breeze a +strange--a startling--series of sounds: "Ump! Ump!" "Bla-aat bla-aat," +"Flar-op, flar-op," "Tootle-tootle"--a dismal melody filled the room, +half notes, a mixture of notes, some of sledge hammer force, some weak +and squeaking. + +"Oh, hold me!" cried Randy, going into convulsions of laughter--"it's +that Little German Band." + +This seemed true, for they could trace the source of the music after a +moment or two. They proceeded from the neighborhood of their business +rival. How they might sound directly at their source it was difficult to +surmise. Arising from the hollow in which the National was located, they +lacked all acoustic qualities, like a band playing into a funnel. + +"Twenty-seven minutes and a half after six," declared Pep abruptly. + +"All right," nodded Jolly, arising from his seat. "It's not dark yet, +but I suppose we will have to shoot on the lights." + +The quartette started from the rear room in company, but Pep was making +for the front entrance as soon as Jolly moved towards the piano. He came +to a dead halt with a blank face as there sounded out, directly in front +of the place, a sharp, clear bugle call. + +"Ahem!" observed Ben Jolly, with significant emphasis. + +Frank and Randy stood stock still. They were both surprised and +entranced, for after that rollicking bugle call there rang out a sweet +home melody. Whoever was creating those gentle yet clear and expressive +notes was a master of the cornet. The hour, the scene were in harmony +with the liquid notes that gushed forth like golden beads dropped into a +crystal dish. + +The wondering Pep, as if in a spell, moved noiselessly down the aisle +and looked out through a window. Standing at the extreme inner edge of +the walk was the cornetist. He wore a neat military costume. His close +bearded face made Pep think of photographs he had seen of the leader of +a noted military band. From every direction the crowds were gathering. +They blocked the walk and the beach beyond it. A hush showed the +appreciation of this enchanted audience until the tune was finished. +Then the air was filled with acclamations. + +"Friend of mine--it's all right. Thought I'd sort of offset that brass +band down at the National," sang out Ben Jolly at the piano, and Pep now +knew what his reticent friend had "up his sleeve." "All ready--here she +goes!" + +A chorus of "Ah's!" and "Oh's!" swelled forth as the electric sign and +then the whole front of Wonderland burst into a glow of electric +radiance. Frank was into the sheet iron booth in a jiffy. Jolly sat prim +and precise at the piano. Randy was in place in the little ticket office +just as Pep threw open the front doors. + +Pep tried to look and act dignified, and did very well, but he felt so +elated as the crowd poured in that he was all smiles and made everybody +feel at ease instead of awed. Wonderland could not have opened at a more +favorable moment. A better advertisement than the cornet solo could not +have been devised. The crowd attracted by the music lingered, and most +of them decided to take in the show. + +Nearly every seat in the house was taken as Jolly began the overture. As +the electric bell announced the darkening of the room Pep had to hunt +for vacant chairs. + +Pep was particularly attentive to the cornetist, who entered the +playhouse after giving a second tune on his instrument. + +"Near the front, please," he said to Pep, and he seemed satisfied as the +young usher found him a chair in the front row next to the curtain. + +The first film was full of fun and laughter. The second was an airship +specialty and went off very well. The feature film of the series was "A +Wrecker's Romance." It had just enough sea flavor to catch with the +audience. There was a schooner caught in a storm that was lost in the +gathering fog after sending up a rocket as a signal of distress. + +The next scene showed the wrecker on the rainswept beach staring into +the depths for some sign from the belated ship. It was here that Ben +Jolly adapted the slow, striking music to the progress of the story. + +Suddenly the lone figure on the beach lifted his hands to his lips, +formed into a human speaking trumpet. + +The audience, rapt with the intensity of the incident, were breathlessly +engrossed. They could anticipate his forlorn call amid that desolate +scene. + +And then something remarkable happened. Apparently from those moving +lips, distant but clear--resonant and long-drawn-out--thrilling every soul +in the audience with its naturalness and intensity, there sounded the +words: + +"Ship ahoy!" + + + + +CHAPTER XVI--A GRAND SUCCESS + + +A deep hush pervaded the audience. The people were spellbound. Even Pep, +standing against the side wall, felt a thrill pass through him. So +natural and fitting had been the climax of the picture that its effect +was apparent in a general rustling--a deep breath that swayed the +onlookers. + +The wrecker turned and his lips again moved as if to form for a signal +whistle. Shrilly the call wavered about the scene. + +"A talking picture!" Pep heard someone whisper. + +"It's great!" echoed another voice. + +A magnificent Newfoundland dog came bounding down the beach. Its young +master held a coil of rope in his hand. He seemed swayed by conflicting +emotions. Then he appeared to arrive at a conclusion. + +He would not see that noble ship go to pieces on the rocks! He secured +one end of the rope to the collar of the animal and made signs. The +intelligent dog lifted his head. A joyous, willing bark rang out. It was +real--like the call--like the whistle. + +"Ginger!" exclaimed Pep Smith, in a stupefied way. + +The dog disappeared. Then a dim light showed far out at sea and there +sounded out the distant echo of the foghorn of a steamer. It was so +familiar to the audience, so natural, that more than one among them +probably lost himself and almost fancied he was standing on that lonely +storm-lashed beach with the wrecker. + +The film ran its course--the rope was carried by the faithful dog to the +imperiled ship. A safety line was sent ashore. Passengers and crew were +all saved and among them a beautiful young girl. + +The last picture showed a lovely garden--the grounds of the home of the +father of the rescued girl. She was reading a book in a vernal bower. +The wrecker, her lover, appeared. Birds swayed among the blossoming +branches of the trees. He spoke--she listened. Then, arm in arm, they +walked slowly from the garden to the accompaniment of soft bird notes +that filled the whole house with the most ravishing melody. + +The lights came on amid furious and genuine applause. A delighted and +excited old man jumped up on his chair and waved his hat, shouting: + +"Three cheers for the best show on earth!" + +"That was just famous." + +"Must be one of those new speaking pictures." + +"Oh, we must get all the folks to come to this delightful show!" + +Pep's heart beat proudly as the audience filed out and he overheard this +encouraging praise. He could hardly contain himself. Then he noticed Ben +Jolly beckoning to him and he glided over to the piano. Jolly's face was +one broad, delighted smile. + +"How was it, Pep?" he inquired. + +"No, _what_ was it!" corrected Pep in a fluster, and then he noticed +that the cornetist had remained seated--and he guessed something. + +"Him?" he questioned. + +"Correct!" replied Jolly. "Give Durham the tip. It's Hal Vincent. Durham +must have noticed the brilliant accompaniment to the films and I don't +want to get him rattled wondering what's up." + +Pep had some difficulty in getting to the operator's booth. A long line +of people were in place at the doors and they came in with a rush as the +room was emptied. Pep tapped and Frank told him to come in. + +"Did you hear--did you notice it?" spoke Pep, excitedly. + +"Why, of course," replied Frank. "I couldn't understand it at first, but +I know it must be some professional imitator." + +"It was Mr. Vincent. He wore a false beard." + +"You don't say so!" cried Frank. + +"Yes, and he was the cornetist outside, too." Pep went on. + +"All a piece of Mr. Jolly's work, I suppose?" + +"Of course," replied Pep. "When he got that message this afternoon Mr. +Vincent was probably at the hotel. Then he arranged to surprise us." + +"It's more than a surprise--it's given tone and novelty to the whole +entertainment." + +The routine of set duties prevented the boys from prolonging the +conversation. Jolly had begun the intermission overture and the seats +were filling up fast. A good many had remained from the first audience. +It took little circulating among the benches for Pep to learn that "A +Wrecker's Romance," with its realistic interpretation, was responsible +for this. + +There was not a break in the second show, but there was a great surprise +for the boys when the third and last programme began. A good many who +had been to the National had got around to the rival playhouse. +Home-going crowds from the beach made a stop. + +"Nearly fifty people turned away," reported Randy, as Pep slipped out to +have a word with him. + +"There must have been over eight hundred admissions," figured Pep. + +"One thousand, one hundred and fifty exactly," reported Randy. + +"Why, say," cried Pep, "at that rate we're going to be rich!" + +"Hey, young fellow," hailed a man appearing at this moment--"I suppose +there's a free list for friends?" + +"I should say so," responded Pep, recognizing the workman at the +National he had gotten so chummy with. "Step right in, although I'm +afraid I can't offer you a seat." + +"Crowded as that; eh?" spoke the man. "That's fine." + +"How is it at the National?" asked Pep. "Do they keep busy?" + +"Every seat taken, but then you know they gave away a lot of tickets. +Why, say," proceeded the man as they got inside, "I had no idea you +could fix this place up so nifty." + +"I suppose they opened at the National before they were all ready?" +suggested Pep, who was dreadfully curious about the proceedings of Peter +Carrington and his friends. + +"I should say they did! They had to use boards for seats and several of +them split in two. The funniest thing, though, was when one of the +private boxes broke down." + +"Say," propounded Pep, "did they really build some private boxes?" + +"They did, for a fact. They were no use and no ornament, and the fellow +who bosses things--his name is Beavers--kicked big against it. Young +Carrington would have it, though, so we hurried through the best we +could to-day. We told him the floor wasn't in and not to move the chairs +about, but he got in there with some chums. First thing we knew one of +them shifted his position, and the three of them went through the floor +and landed sprawling on top of the piano. It was a sight, I tell you, +and the audience roared." + +"Well, I declare!" spoke Jolly, an hour later, as he came to the front +of the playhouse with Vincent. "The last entertainment over and I +believe you could gather up enough to run another show." + +"It certainly looks like it," added Frank. + +The last audience had dispersed, but around and near the Wonderland a +great many persons and groups loitered or strolled along leisurely. They +were the late stayers about the beach, and had the lights been left on +and the ticket office open many of them no doubt would have entered the +playhouse. + +"Enough is as good as a feast," laughed Randy, hugging his tin cash box +under his arm with great complacency. "It couldn't have been better." + +"I guess we've hit it this time," pronounced Pep, proudly. + +"That isn't always so hard to do at the start," advised Hal Vincent. +"It's keeping it up that counts. You want to advertise now--new stunts, +novelties, attractions." + +"Attractions!" cried Pep. "Can the best of them beat those cornet solos? +Novelties! Why, those talking pictures will be the hit of the town." + +"You are a famous friend, Mr. Vincent," spoke Frank, warmly. + +"And ought to be a famous man," supplemented Jolly, loyally. "He's worth +putting on a special programme, Durham." + +"I got through with my city lawsuit just in time," explained Vincent. +"Made quite a good settlement, too. First thing I did was to release my +wardrobe and dummies from embargo. They are ready to ship to any point +where I may find an engagement." + +"Then give your order for their delivery at Seaside Park forthwith, Mr. +Vincent," directed Frank, spontaneously. "I'll risk saying that we can +pay you what is fair for a month's steady run at least." + +"Things seem to be building up right along the line; don't they, Pep?" +piped the piano player briskly, giving his favorite a friendly slap on +the shoulder. + +"Oh!" cried Randy, "we're going to find all kinds of fame and fortune at +Seaside Park." + +"By--the--wild--sea--waaa-ves!" added the versatile Vincent, throwing his +ventriloquist voice way off over the beach in a sing-song way that +startled passers-by. + + + + +CHAPTER XVII--BOASTFUL PETER + + +"Somebody at the door, Pep." + +"All right, I'll attend to them." + +Jolly was rearranging the chairs after sweeping out the playhouse and +Pep was dusting, when there came a summons at the front door. It was a +smart tapping and Pep wondered who it could be. He released one door to +confront an impressive-looking individual, with a light cane in his hand +and a face that somehow made Pep think of a stranded actor. + +"This is the Wonderland, I assume?" spoke the caller, grandiloquently. + +"You have assumed right," replied Pep. + +"Mr. Frank Durham, proprietor?" + +"One of them." + +"Can I see Mr. Durham personally. Important business." + +"Certainly. This way," directed Pep, and he led the way to the living +room at the rear. + +"What did I tell you!" half groaned Hal Vincent into Frank's ear the +moment he set eyes on the newcomer. + +"Ah, Mr. Durham--forgotten me, I suppose?" airily intimated the visitor, +as he entered the room. + +"Not at all," replied Frank, with a pleasant smile, as he arose from the +desk at which he was seated. + +Jolly had got hold of a very presentable desk in his trading. It had +been set in a convenient corner of the room and constituted the "office" +of the Wonderland. + +It was the ubiquitous Booth whom Frank greeted. He knew the man at a +glance and so did Vincent. The latter viewed the new arrival +suspiciously and with a none too cordial bow. There was something that +appealed to Frank in the visionary old fellow, however, and he treated +him courteously. + +Booth bore unmistakable signs of prosperity and contentment. He now wore +a brand new glossy silk tile, lemon colored gloves, was cleanly shaven +and exploited an irreproachable collar and bright red necktie. He might +have been one of the amusement kings of America judging from the immense +gravity and dignity of his demeanor. Mr. Booth drew out a memorandum +book with several bank notes folded between its pages and straightened +his neat gold eyeglasses. + +"I have some very pretentious business offerings for you, Mr. Durham," +he volunteered. "However, before we proceed any farther, there is a +matter of unfinished business--a trivial obligation. Let me see?" and he +flipped over several leaves of the memorandum book. "Ah, yes, this is +it: 'Acceptance, one hundred and fifty.' No, that is not it. 'Note at +bank'--wrong again. Here we have it: 'I. O. U., one dollar.' I had +forgotten the amount," and he handed Frank a bill for that amount. + +"Many thanks, Mr. Durham. Adversity is the common lot, and such cheerful +assistance as that which you accorded me at New York City is of the kind +that keeps the human heart warm with those who honorably expect to pay +their debts. Now then, sir, to the important business mission which +brought me here." + +Vincent looked darkly suspicious, Frank mildly inquisitive, Randy +wondered what was coming, and Pep was curiously expectant. + +"The inauguration of two new photo playhouses at Seaside Park has +offered a certain scope of opportunity for my line of specialization," +proceeded Booth. "I have canvassed the town and have done some very +satisfactory initial business, believe me, Mr. Durham." + +"I am very glad to hear that," spoke Frank, heartily. + +"Beyond my expectations, I may say," declared the enterprising advance +agent. "You are open for curtain features, sir?" + +"Of the right kind, most certainly," assented Frank. + +"High class with me, sir, always," declared Booth. "I have one contract +of quite some magnitude. It is a continuous one, with a feature that +will enhance your business materially. Perhaps I had better show you. +How is that, sir?" + +The advance agent presented a card. Upon it a photograph had been pasted +and under this was the reading: + +"Who am I? Meet me face to face!" + +"Why," smiled Frank in some mystification, "this is a picture of the +back of a man's head?" + +"Exactly so--that's just it!" nodded Booth, animatedly. "In me you see +the inventor of that most original idea. I wish you to have that made +into a slide. You throw the picture on the screen during the +intermissions. A blank card is given to every person with the admission +ticket. It is announced that the picture represents a well known local +merchant. Who is he? The audience is given a chance to vote and the +cards are collected. To those who guess correctly a one-pound box of +finest chocolates is delivered next day. These confections, done up in +handsome boxes, you pile up in your front windows with a neat placard +explaining the scheme. A custom drawer; eh, Mr. Durham?" + +"Why, I must say it is quite a novel and ingenious plan," admitted +Frank. + +"Got to have some attraction like that to interest new business, sir," +declared Booth. "I have presented the plan to you first, because you +stood my friend in time of need and because I am informed that you +operate the leading playhouse here at Seaside Park." + +"Are you authorized to make a deal on that business, Booth?" inquired +Vincent, in a blunt, matter-of-fact way. + +"I am," replied the advance agent with emphasis. "My client will sign a +contract. He is one of the most reliable business men in the community. +In later curtain features, first the rear view and then the front view +and advertisement of my client's business will be delineated on the +screen. I have several other features to follow this one. I can make it +worth your while to enter into a contract." + +"I see no objection to your proposition," returned Frank, after a +moment's reflection. "I dislike any prize lottery contests, or anything +that approaches the gambling idea; but this suggestion of yours seems +clean and honest." + +He went over details with Booth and was pleased to realize that quite a +neat little income was promised from this unexpected feature of the +entertainments. + +"I declare, that is the first coherent scheme I ever knew Booth to put +through," asserted Vincent, as the advance agent took his departure. "If +he sticks at this in a business-like way it looks as if he would make +some real money. He goes off on a tangent every once in a while, Durham. +You needn't be surprised if he drops in some day with one of his wild +schemes, like dropping free tickets over the town from a balloon." + +"Ready to go to the bank, Randy?" inquired Frank, in quite a flutter, +taking the bank book from a pigeonhole in the desk. + +"Yes," replied Randy, taking a neatly done-up package from his tin cash +box. "I've sorted out everything above fifty cents for deposit." + +"That's right--always keep a good supply of small change on hand," +advised Jolly. "I say, Durham, what about the daytime shows?" + +"We had better canvass that situation during the day," replied Frank. +"We might give it a trial, say, day after to-morrow." + +"I don't think a morning show would pay us," suggested Vincent. "You +might work in three matinees, though, especially when the beach gets +more crowded." + +Randy invited Pep to go down to the bank with him. They felt pretty good +over the pleasant way things were going. + +"We're in the swim, sure," declared Pep, animatedly. + +"Yes, and drifting along most delightfully," agreed Randy. + +"Sort of a howling capitalist; aren't you!" railed Pep, as they reached +the bank, and with a due sense of importance his companion handed in +bank book and money at the receiving teller's window. + +"You needn't talk," retorted Randy--"you're 'a bloated bondholder'; +aren't you?" + +Pep winced at the allusion. As they passed down the steps of the bank +they came face to face with two of their business rivals. They were +Peter Carrington and Greg Grayson. Pep carelessly and Randy rather +distantly bowed to the two boys and were about to pass on their way. + +"Hold on," sang out Peter, in his usual abrupt style. "Had quite a house +last night; didn't you? So did we." + +"I heard so," observed Pep. "What's the matter with your private box +department, though?" + +"Oh, accidents will happen," returned Peter. "Say, look out for a big +hit, though, in a day or two." + +"That so?" said Pep. + +"You bet! Isn't that so, Greg?" + +Greg Grayson assented with a nod. He looked mean and probably felt the +same way. He had sense enough to realize that his past record with the +moving picture chums, taken in conjunction with his present appearance +on a new scene, showed him up in a poor light. + +"Yes, sir," vaunted Peter, swelling as if some big idea had sprouted in +that dull brain of his; "we're going to spring a motion picture +sensation on Seaside Park that will about make us." + +"That's good," applauded Randy. "You deserve it if you have the right +thing." + +"Well, we just have," boasted Peter. "It's so good that I shouldn't +wonder if it put everybody else in our line clean out of business." + +"Meaning us, I suppose?" inquired Pep. + +"Well, those who don't want to get hurt had better keep out of the way," +advised Peter. "The National has come to stay, I can tell you that." + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII--THE GREAT FILM + + +"Durham, I feel that we've just go to get that film," spoke Ben Jolly. + +He held in his hand a special letter from the National Film Exchange, +and the lively piano player waved it about in a way that showed that he +was unusually excited. + +"Yes," nodded Hal Vincent, "this is one of those specials that come +along only once or twice a year. The prize fights used to lead before +people knew as much as they do now; but you take a royal coronation, or +a national auto race, or an earthquake, or liner lost at sea, and that's +the big feature that the public run after for about a month." + +"You've got to get in at them at the start, though," suggested Jolly. + +"Always. The event advertises itself and the film men give it a new +start. Why, to open up for day shows, this flood film would be an +attraction all of itself." + +"Better keep up with the times," half laughed Randy. "You know how Peter +Carrington is bragging about some new attraction that is going to put us +out of business." + +Frank and his chums were practically novices in the "movies" line. They, +however, knew enough about the business to realize that the theme under +discussion was one worth considering in all its bearings. Furthermore, +they placed great reliance in the judgment of Jolly and Vincent. The +letter they had received advised them that within two days the "Great +Flood Series" of films would be offered for lease. The supply was +limited and on this account one film had been apportioned to certain +territory. The right to use the film, therefore, would go to the highest +bidder in each district. + +The flood film covered a national disaster in which a large section of +the West had been inundated, causing immense loss to life and property. +Public charity had been appealed to and there were relief funds all over +the country. The interest in the event had not yet abated. + +"It's a big feature," declared Ben Jolly. "My advice is to get it." + +"And get it quick," added Vincent. "These attractions are grabbed for." + +"But the cost?" suggested Frank. + +"Oh, it is never ruinous," said Vincent. "See here, you can spare me +best out of your most valuable staff. I'll go to the city and put the +deal through, if you say so." + +"What about those cornet solos, and the talking picture stunt, and the +act you were going to put on the programme?" grumbled Pep. + +"Oh, they will keep for a night or so," replied Vincent. "Another thing, +I ordered my outfit, which was levied on at the stand down country where +my last venture showed, sent to New York City before I knew I was coming +down here. There's some new wardrobe properties I want, too, so I can do +double duty while I am in the city." + +It was decided that Vincent should go to New York and see what could be +done about the flood film. The boys had figured up what price they could +stand as a maximum figure, but considerable discretion was left to their +representative. Randy and Pep strolled down to the depot with Vincent. + +"See who's here," suddenly observed Randy. + +Peter Carrington, in a loud, checked suit, alarming necktie and classy +yachting cap, was at the depot with his two admiring cronies, Greg +Grayson and Jack Beavers. He was talking in a loud, showy way, but as +Beavers caught sight of Vincent he spoke quickly to Peter and they drew +away from the spot. Peter entered the chair car when the train came in. + +"Hello, going your way," observed Randy. + +"Say, suppose he's after that new feature film?" inquired Pep, +excitedly. + +"Might be," observed Vincent, carelessly. "If that's the big card they +were bragging about, they haven't landed it yet. Glad you mentioned that +point, Pep. I'll get busy." + +There was a great deal to attend to that day. The season had commenced +with the finest of weather and it bade fair to continue indefinitely. +Frank and Jolly spent several hours deciding on the matinee feature. + +"Tell you what, fellows," he said to Randy and Pep, "Mr. Jolly thinks he +had better take the week to get into our routine thoroughly. Mr. Booth +was in to see us again this morning about some advertising he will put +through at low cost. I hardly think we will try any day shows until next +week, unless our competitors do. Then of course we will have to show our +colors." + +"Well, I can tell you that they are not asleep," declared Pep. + +"How is that?" inquired Jolly. + +"I saw my friend who works for them. He is building a big transparency +to put across the front of the National. He don't know exactly what it +is going to advertise, but he thinks a big film feature." + +"The flood special, I'll bet!" guessed Randy at once. + +"Aren't they a little premature?" advanced Jolly. + +"We'll know to-night," said Frank. "Mr. Vincent will probably be back on +a late train." + +The boys were brisk and ready for the evening's entertainment when the +hour arrived. There was every indication of a big attendance. What +pleased Frank most was to notice that those who were waiting for the +doors to open were mostly family people--children and residents. This +spoke well for the reputation the Wonderland had already gained. + +The first house was only fair. There was, however, a big gain at eight +o'clock. Randy looked up from the ticket reel as a familiar voice struck +his ear with the monotonous: + +"Two tickets, please." + +"No, no," he laughed, moving back the bill which Miss Porter presented, +and bowing with deference to her companion, the portly Mrs. Carrington. +"You must allow us the honor and pleasure of retaining you on the free +list." + +"Ridiculous, young man!" said the outspoken Mrs. Carrington, but she was +forced ahead by the on-pressing crowd. Pep caught sight of them and +hustled about actively securing two good seats among the few left. + +Pep felt that he was on good behavior with the eyes of their lady +patronesses upon them. When they arose to leave at the end of the hour +he slipped over to the operator's booth and advised Frank of the +presence of their distinguished company. The little party drew aside for +a moment or two out of the path of the dispersing audience. + +"We must certainly compliment you on your well ordered place, Mr. +Durham," said Mrs. Carrington. + +"And your tasteful selection of films," added Miss Porter, brightly. "As +to your pianist, he is an expert, and your usher system perfect." + +"Oh, pshaw! you are making fun of me," declared Pep, reddening. + +"Oh, dear!" observed Mrs. Carrington with a sigh, "of course I am deeply +anxious for the success of that headstrong nephew of mine. Now he has +got into the motion picture business I can't quite abandon him; but I +must say the National is crude and inartistic compared with your place +here." + +"Peter has our best wishes, Mrs. Carrington," declared Frank. "I can +assure you of that. Of course we are business rivals, but it will be +with entire fairness on our part." + +"I am sure it will. I told you so, Mrs. Carrington," spoke Miss Porter. +"Peter talks as though you were sanguinary enemies, but I knew it was +nonsense as far as you are concerned. I don't like the man he has taken +in with him, a Mr. Beavers, however. I told him so yesterday, but met +with a rebuff for the interest I displayed in Peter's welfare." + +"That little lady is our champion, all right," declared Pep, returning +from escorting the ladies to their automobile. + +When the boys came to reckon up the proceeds of the evening they found +them to be several dollars over what they had taken in the first night. +They were congratulating themselves on their continued good fortune when +Hal Vincent put in an appearance. He had a great paper roll under his +arm and looked brisk and contented. + +"Well, Hal?" hailed Jolly, in a cheery, expectant way. + +"I want to show you something," was the ventriloquist's reply as he +opened the roll upon the table. + +It contained six different four-sheet posters. They were high colored, +well executed and attractive. They depicted striking and thrilling +events of "The Great Flood." + +"Twenty-five sets go with the films," he explained. + +"And you've got the films?" said Jolly. + +"I couldn't bear to leave them behind," replied Vincent, with a smile. +"I've got them and the price won't break us--but it's at the cost of +making a deadly enemy." + + + + +CHAPTER XIX--GETTING ALONG + + +"Who's the enemy, Mr. Vincent?" inquired Frank, quickly. + +"Peter Carrington." + +"Pooh!" derided Randy. + +"That doesn't sound so dangerous," declared Pep, lightly. + +"Tell us about it, Hal," urged Jolly. + +"There isn't a lot to tell," replied Vincent. "Pep here was right about +Carrington being bound on the same mission to the city as myself. I +found him at the National Film Exchange in great fettle. He had just +closed a deal for the flood film." + +"Then--then----" began Pep, in alarm. + +"In his usual conspicuous and important way he had his check book out, +fountain pen in hand, and ended up a grand flourish to his signature +with a sort of triumphant grin at me as I entered the office. + +"'Too late, Mr. Man!' he chuckled. 'Thought maybe you would be after the +king attraction of the season, so I hot-footed it here from the train. +There you are, sir,' and he handed the check to the cashier of the +Exchange. 'Just pack up that film and the posters. Building a big +transparency advertising it. If I can catch an early train we'll put it +on to-night.' + +"'I cannot deliver the goods on this check, Mr. Carrington,' said the +cashier, politely but firmly. + +"'I'd like to know why you can't!' flared up Peter. 'That check is good +as gold, and my aunt has a little fortune in that same bank.' + +"'All right, get someone in New York to indorse it and you can have the +goods,' advised the cashier. 'It's no discrimination, Mr. Carrington. We +make this a stringent rule with all out-of-town customers.' + +"'Why, if you doubt my word, telegraph the bank at Seaside Park,' +flustered Peter. 'Say, I'll do it myself. I'll have the cash wired on, +but I shall enter a protest and a complaint with your superiors.' + +"'That's all right,' smiled the cashier indifferently. 'I'll give you an +hour to get the cash here. Only, remember we are likely to have other +bids.' + +"'I am on hand to take a look at the proposition,' I remarked just +there. Peter nearly had a fit. Then he dived for the door. I found out +that his figure was ninety-eight dollars for the week. I added two +dollars. 'Wait the hour,' said the cashier. + +"The hour was up and fifteen minutes over the limit when Peter rushed +upon the scene once more," narrated Vincent. "He pulled a big wad of +bank notes out of his pocket. 'Pack up that film,' he ordered sourly, +'and cancel all our other orders. I'm going to a new place where they +won't question my credit on a measly sum like ninety-eight dollars.' + +"'The film is sold for Seaside Park,' explained the cashier. 'The +Wonderland has overbid you. You are overdue.' + +"'Hold on,' I put in, 'I don't want to take advantage of a competitor. +Fair and square, Carrington. If you want the film, bid for it.' + +"'Of course I'll bid for it,' boasted Peter. 'I'll give a hundred and +five.' + +"'And ten,' I said quietly. + +"'Fifteen.' + +"'And twenty,' I added. + +"'Sho!' said Peter, flipping over the bills in his hand. I haven't much +more ready cash here with me.' + +"'I'll loan you on your check,' I told him and the bluff took. I had +only the hundred and fifty you gave me, but I was nervy, and it beat +Peter. I fancy Jack Beavers had set a limit, or the real money wasn't +flush at the National; anyhow with a snarl and a scowl Peter gritted his +teeth at both of us and decamped." + +Late as the hour was the motion picture chums were so interested in the +new film that they had to give it a trial run. It was all the lurid +advertising claimed for it from start to finish, and it took thirty-five +minutes to run it--the scenes depicted held the interest. + +"It's well worth the money," declared Ben Jolly enthusiastically. "Now +then, to exploit it to the limit." + +The transparency frame built for the National remained in place, but its +muslin covering did not contain the announcement expected by Peter and +his satellites. Even Hal Vincent, well as he knew Jack Beavers, was +greatly surprised when he was told the next day that the space was +devoted to booming a recent sparring match. + +"It's pretty bad taste," he criticised. "It will take with a certain +element, but it won't help in getting the good people and the stayers." + +The flood film was widely advertised and put on that Thursday night. The +posters made a fine show in the various store windows of the town. A +private school came _en masse_ to the first evening entertainment. A +ladies' charitable association, active in raising a fund for the flood +sufferers, was among the audience Friday night. + +"It's a go," voted Ben Jolly, as Randy reported over a hundred people +turned away from the doors. "If I were you, Durham, I would wire the +Exchange for a thirty days' contract on that film." + +This was done. A big house was expected for Saturday night and it had +been decided to run two matinees from three to five beginning Monday. +This crowded a little but not to any noticeable discomfort. + +Pep, always on the scent for information regarding their competitors, +came in with a new bulletin at supper time. + +"Things are getting sort of mixed down at the National, I hear," he +remarked. + +"How's that, Pep?" questioned Jolly. + +"They had a rough crowd among the audience last night and there was a +fight. Two women fainted and several had their pockets picked by some +fellows from that new Midway they started last week outside of the +concession belt." + +"I noticed Jack Beavers with a couple of hard-looking fellows yesterday +afternoon down at the Midway," said Vincent. "That won't pay them, I can +tell you." + +"If the rough crowd have begun their work at the National we may expect +them to make the rounds," said Jolly. "Keep a sharp eye out, Pep." + +"I'll do just that," was the prompt response. + +As anticipated by the motion picture chums and their friends, the +throngs that evening beat all records. Pep forgot to look for suspicious +characters or trouble. Everything went smoothly up to the last show, +when he noticed four swaggering fellows come in. They crowded their way +to the front and made a noisy shuffling with their feet and talked +loudly. A few minutes later a like group gained admittance and took +seats among the rear rows of seats. There were cat calls and signals +between the two groups and Pep scented trouble. + +Vincent, who until he went on the programme the next week helped Pep to +keep things in order, came up to his young friend just as the first film +of the third series was being run off. + +"I say, Pep," he observed, "two of the fellows in that quartette in +front there are the same fellows I saw with Jack Beavers. They look ripe +for a demonstration." + +"You mean they may have been sent here to make trouble for us?" + +"And rush the crowd in the hope of picking a few pockets--that is their +general programme, yes." + +"I wish we could get one of the beach policemen to show himself," said +Pep. "That would scare them off. Those officers are friendly to us, but +won't make a move until a real row is on." + +"I think I can help out on this proposition," remarked Vincent, and Pep +noticed that he passed through the doorway leading to the living +apartment, behind the main room. + +When the lights came on for a moment between the first and second film +Pep stared in blank surprise at a figure standing against the side wall. +It was that of a police officer fully uniformed, even to the stout club +usually carried. He was not ten feet away from the quartette that had +made Pep so apprehensive. + +"It's Mr. Vincent," guessed Pep--"good for him!" + +The versatile ventriloquist it was. His extensive wardrobe had provided +a disguise that cooled down the four unwelcome visitors from the start. +Vincent stood like a statue where he had posted himself, as if on duty. +When the lights went off he drew even nearer to the quartette, and they +seemed to accept the fact that he was there for their benefit and that +it would pay them to behave themselves. + +Vincent was a good deal surprised when someone came close to him down +the aisle next to the outer wall of the building. He was almost startled +when the words were whispered in his ear: + +"Officer, I want you to help me as soon as this film is over." + +"In what way?" inquired Vincent. + +"The two men at the end of the front seats here--Midway crowd--I want +them." + +"Want them?" + +"Yes, I am an officer from the city--I'll show you my credentials later. +The two fellows I mention have led me a long hunt--it's a burglary case." + +"What do you want me to do?" inquired Vincent. + +"They will show fight, both of them, the minute their eyes light on me. +You grab the second fellow. I'll attend to the other one. Then send the +usher out for more police help." + +"All right," assented Vincent, "only do all this quietly as you can. We +don't want to hurt the reputation of the show by any rough work." + +"Oh, they'll wilt when they see they're cornered. Another word-whisper." + +"Yes?" + +"Help me to do this job neatly and there's a fine reward to divide." + + + + +CHAPTER XX--A RICH FIND + + +As the lights came on again the man who had spoken to Vincent moved +forward so as to intercept the two end men on the second row of seats. +One of them, who had arisen the moment he fixed his eyes on the officer +from the city, sat down quickly. He pulled his next companion by the +sleeve, who slunk down with him. + +All this Vincent noticed, and Pep, guessing that these actions meant +something, glided to the side of the ventriloquist. + +"What is it, Mr. Vincent?" he inquired breathlessly. + +"I hardly know myself yet," said Vincent. + +"I want you, my man!" spoke the city officer just here. + +He reached out and grabbed the slinking man by the collar. + +"That one also," was added sharply, and Hal Vincent pounced upon the +other man in true official style. Pep heard what he took for signal +whistles from the other members of the party, whom he noticed burrowing +their way through the crowd as if fearing detection themselves and +anxious to get out of the way as fast as they could. + +"Go out and tell a couple of beach officers we need them, Pep," spoke +Vincent quickly. "This way," he added to the New York officer, and led +his prisoner into the living rooms. + +Pep hurried on his mission and returned with the officers sent for. He +advised Frank and Randy that "something was up" and made sure that the +latter got started for the rear with his cash box. Then Pep closed and +locked the front doors securely. + +He stood there on guard until the two policemen and the officer from the +city came out with their prisoners. They had handcuffed them together +and the captives looked sullen but subdued. + +"I won't forget you," spoke the officer from the city as Pep let the +little group get out into the street. + +"Oh, that's all right," replied Vincent. "We're glad to have got through +with the fellows without any row or publicity." + +"What have those men been doing, Mr. Vincent?" inquired Pep as the doors +were again secured and they went back into the living rooms. + +"Some big burglary in New York, the officer said," explained the +ventriloquist. "It seems he has been on their trail for a week. Located +them at the Midway and traced them here to-night." + +"Get your broom, Randy," ordered Pep, consulting his watch. + +"What for?" + +"We've got just forty-eight minutes before twelve o'clock. We want to +sweep out by then. To-morrow's Sunday, when we won't do it, and the next +day is Monday when we can't do it with the hustle and bustle of a double +programme and two matinees. Besides, it's a satisfaction to see it all +neat and in order over to-morrow." + +"That's so," assented Randy, but he yawned, for it had been an arduous +day for all hands. + +The boys pitched in with ardor, Pep taking one side, Randy the other. +There was more sand than dust, for the floor had been cleanly swept only +that morning. There was, however, the usual lot of candy and popcorn +boxes, torn programmes, and the general litter of the entertainment. + +"You beat me, Randy," said Pep, as his companion rounded into the end of +the center aisle near the entrance first with his heap of swept-up +rubbish. + +"I'll get the box and the dust pan," volunteered Randy, "and we'll soon +have the rubbish out of the way." + +While his comrade was gone for the utensils in question Pep began poking +about in the accumulated heap swept up. He always did this before the +heap was placed in the rubbish box and dumped out of a side window into +a coal box standing beneath it. Very often they found little articles of +value--once a pair of ladies' gloves, a baby's hat twice, rings, and +after nearly every performance pennies, nickels, and once a dollar bill. +A list of these articles of any value was made and placarded on a neat +card labelled "Owner Apply," tacked up on the ticket seller's booth +outside. + +"A plugged nickel and two suspender buttons," laughed Pep as a result of +his explorations as Randy reappeared. + +"I kicked something!" announced Randy, and sure enough something that +rattled skidded across the floor from the edge of the dust heap. + +"Why," replied Pep, picking up the article in question, "it's a chamois +bag." + +"Something in it?" questioned Randy. + +"Think so? I'll see," and Pep probed. "I say," he added with animation, +"look here, Randy!" + +Both boys viewed in amazement the object Pep had extracted from the +little chamois bag. It sparkled and dazzled. + +"Gold!" uttered Randy. + +"And diamonds!" added Pep with zest. "It's a necklace. It's handsome +enough to be real, but that can't be." + +"Why not?" challenged Randy. + +"Oh, it would be worth a small fortune. Who's going to drop a thing like +that in a ten-cent motion picture show?" + +"We'll ask Mr. Vincent," suggested Randy, and Pep slipped their singular +find into his pocket. They cleaned up the dust heap, set the rows of +chairs in apple pie order and joined the others in the living rooms. + +"I want to show you something, Mr. Vincent," said Pep, approaching the +ventriloquist, who with Jolly was dispatching supper at the table. + +"Why," exclaimed Vincent, as Pep handed him the chamois bag and he held +up to the light the necklace it contained, "where in the world did you +get this?" + +"I should say so!" cried Jolly, his eyes fixed upon the shimmering +article of jewelry. + +"Randy swept it up," explained Pep. + +"Is it good for anything?" inquired Randy. + +"Is it!" projected Vincent forcibly. "I should rather say so! Those are +genuine diamonds, and the other settings are valuable, too. Not less +than a thousand dollars, and maybe five." + +Pep gave utterance to an excited whistle. Randy looked bewildered. +Frank, busy at his desk going over the contents of the cash box, arose +from his chair and like the others became an interested member of the +group. + +"Some lady must have carried it with her and it dropped from her +pocket," he suggested. "It is too late to-night to think of seeking an +owner for it." + +"Whoever it belongs to will be around looking for it quick enough," +declared Vincent. + +"I hope there will be some kind of a reward," said Randy. + +"If there is, you get it," observed Pep. + +"No, we divide," insisted his loyal chum. + +"Well, wait till the reward is offered, will you?" laughed Jolly. "I +say, Durham, our friend Booth must know of this. He'll get us a whole +column in the newspapers. 'Exclusive and fashionable audience at the +Wonderland. Sensational loss of priceless gems! Found by the +proprietors. Consumed with anxiety to locate the owner. Latter +appears--prominent society leader. Jewels restored and the Wonderland +still running to crowded houses. See the great flood feature films!' +Why, it's as good as the usual lost jewels for the actress." + +Frank took charge of the chamois bag and deposited it in the tin cash +box. This he locked up and as usual took it into one of the apartments +where he slept. + +"We shall have to keep special watch over all that valuable stuff until +the bank opens Monday morning," he explained. + +Randy hung around, wrought up with excitement over their wonderful find +and anxious to talk about it. Pep was very tired and went to his cot to +rest. Frank, Jolly and Vincent sat with their feet on the sill of an +open window, enjoying the cool breeze from the ocean and indulging in +pleasant comments on the first successful week of the Wonderland. + +"With the flood film and the specialty act of the great family +entertainer, 'Signor Halloway Vincenzo,' I predict we will capture the +town next week," declared Ben Jolly. + +"Guess I'll turn in, too," remarked Randy, after wandering about the +room aimlessly for some time. + +"All right, just turn out the light, will you?" asked Frank. "It's sort +of nice to sit here with the moonlight streaming in." + +Randy took off his coat and shoes and started for the apartment where +Pep was fast asleep. It contained two cots. He had started over to give +Pep a shake and make him get up and undress, when he chanced to pass one +of the windows and glanced out. + +"Fire!" he instantly shouted, and rushed out into the room where the +others were. + +"What's that?" challenged Frank, springing to his feet. + +"Yes, right across the block," declared Randy. "You can see it from the +side window. Look at that!" + +A glare suddenly illuminated the room. Ben Jolly moved to the window and +uttered a sharp whistle of surprise. Frank ran into his room and came +out with his cap on. Then there was a rush for the little back stairs +running into the yard behind the building. + +"Wait for me!" called out Randy, struggling to put on his shoes. + +"Hey! what's all the row?" hailed Pep sleepily, as Randy stamped his +foot into a shoe, grabbed up his cap and coat and made a dive for the +yard. + +"Fire!" bawled back Randy. "Right near us, too! Hurry up!" + +Pep sat up on his cot rubbing his eyes. Then a spurting glare from the +fire lit up the room. He jumped to his feet and hurried out into the +large room. + +"It is a fire, sure enough," he exclaimed, glancing from the window. +"It's that big building where they rent rooms to transients. The whole +roof is ablaze and----" + +Pep came to a sudden halt. Just stepping over the threshold of the +doorway at the head of the yard steps, he was confronted by two men +running up them. + +One of them threw out one hand. It landed on Pep's breast, almost +pushing him off his footing, and was accompanied by the gruff voice: + +"Hey, you get back in there!" + + + + +CHAPTER XXI--THE TIN BOX + + +Pep was a quick thinker. He could not tell how it was, but the minute +his eyes lighted on the two strangers he somehow associated them with +the group from whom he had anticipated trouble earlier in the night. In +fact he was not sure that they were not two members of the quartette who +had been the object of the visit of the officer from the city. + +"What do you want?" Pep instantly challenged. + +For answer his assailant leaped forward and made a grab for him. Pep +knew that the intrusion of these men could have no good motive. He +dodged, seized a frying pan from the gas stove, and brandished it +vigorously. + +"I'll strike!" he shouted. "Don't you try to hold me!" + +"Quiet the young spitfire," growled the second of the men, and although +Pep got in one or two hard knocks with his impromptu weapon, he was +finally held tightly by the arms from behind by one of the men. Pep let +out a ringing yell, hoping to attract attention from outside, but his +friends were by this time in the turmoil of the fire, and the few +crossing vacant spaces were shouting and excited like himself. + +"I supposed they had all rushed out to the fire," spoke the man who had +first appeared. "Keep this one quiet, if you have to choke him." + +Pep's captor threw him to the floor and pinned him there with his knee +on his breast, despite his wrigglings. He managed to apply a gag. Then +he rudely jerked Pep to his feet, holding his wrists together in a +vise-like grip. + +The flare from the fire and the bright moonlight illumined the room as +clearly as day. Some vivid thoughts ran riot in the active mind of Pep +as the other man went into one of the partitioned sleeping places. + +"That's right," called out Pep's captor. "The boy who had the tin box +carried it in there somewhere." + +"Got it!" sounded in a triumphant tone two minutes later, and there was +a rattle and a rustling sound. + +Pep groaned inwardly. He could figure things out clearly now, he +fancied. The intruders were the two former companions of those arrested +not two hours before by the city officer. + +"Then it was the fellow he was after that left the chamois bag," +theorized Pep rapidly. "He didn't want it found on him, and he got word +to these friends of his. They probably saw us looking at the necklace +through the windows and planned to get it back. When Frank and the +others ran out to the fire they hurried in here, and----" + +"Got it; eh?" inquired Pep's captor, as his comrade reappeared. + +"I have," chuckled the other, and busied himself rolling a pillow slip +about the tin box. "Found it under a cot in there. Now then, quick is +the word." + +The man who held Pep gave him a sudden fling. Pep landed against the +wall on the other side of the room with stunning force. The two men, +hurriedly departing, directed a quick glance at him. + +"That settles him," observed the foremost of the two, running down the +outside stairs. + +Pep was dazed for a moment. He actually fell back half stunned. His head +had received a terrific bump. The instant a thought of the loss of their +little treasure box drifted into his mind, however, he was on his feet +in a flash. + +He tore the obstructing handkerchief from his mouth and made for the +open door, capless and out of breath. Pep darted down the stairs, his +eyes glancing in every direction. The whole top of the building, three +hundred feet away, was blazing now. There was a vacant space behind the +Wonderland, and across this people were running in the direction of the +fire. Pep could not make out his friends anywhere about. As his glance +swept in the opposite direction he saw two shadowy forms headed on a run +for the side street. + +"It's them; I see them!" cried Pep, and he sprinted ahead, his eyes +fixed upon the scurrying figures. They disappeared between two +buildings. Then they came out on the street next to the boardwalk. + +All along Pep's idea had been to get near enough to them to call upon +others to assist him in detaining them as thieves. There was no police +officer in sight, however, and people about were thinking only of +getting to the scene of the fire. Then, as Pep came out upon the street +into which the two men had turned, he saw them standing by an +automobile. One of them was cranking it. The other had climbed into the +rear seat. + +"Stop those men! they have robbed us!" shouted Pep, putting for the spot +where the automobile stood and addressing three or four persons who were +hastening in the direction of the fire. + +One of these halted and looked at Pep as if to take heed of his +announcement, but his fellows urged him to come on and laughed at Pep. +The outcry had hastened the movements of the thieves. The man in front +of the machine jumped into the chauffeur's seat and seized the wheel. + +"You shan't get away with our property!" declared Pep, gaining on the +auto just starting up. "Help! Thieves! Police! Police!" + +The man in the rear seat had placed the box by his side. He had both +hands free. As Pep leaped to the step and clung there, he reached out +both arms. He was a fellow of powerful build, and he was annoyed and +angry at the pertinacity of their pursuer. Pep dodged his head and body +aside, but the man got a hold on his coat and pulled him clear over into +the machine. + +"Now go on," he directed his companion. "I'll squelch the young +wildcat." + +"You won't! Help! Police--pol----" + +The man had Pep down between his knees. He was cruelly brutal, squeezing +him down out of view from the street and choking him into silence. Pep +gave up all hope now. He was silenced and helpless. The machine made +several turns to baffle pursuit, if anyone should follow, and started +down a winding road leading into the country. + +"Now you sit still there and keep your tongue quiet or I'll do worse for +you next time," growled his captor, lifting Pep to the seat and holding +to one arm. + +"Why don't you pitch him out?" demanded the man acting as chauffeur. +"We're past the hue and cry now." + +"Not from a fellow with his sharp wits," retorted the other. "He'd find +the first telephone, double-quick. He's made us a lot of trouble. I'll +give him a long walk home for his meddling." + +They were going at such a furious rate Pep knew that even if they passed +anyone his shout would be incoherent and borne away on the wind. At any +rate they were secure from pursuit except by an automobile like their +own. + +He foresaw the fate of the little tin box--carried away with its precious +contents by these criminals, himself abandoned in some lonely spot to +find his way back home as best he might. A desperate resolve came into +Pep's mind, as glancing ahead he caught the glint of water. At the end +of a steep incline a bridge spanned a small river. Pep got his free hand +ready. Just as the front wheels of the machine struck the first timbers +of the bridge, his hand shot out for the tin box in its pillow case +covering, lying on the cushion between himself and his captor. + +It was all done quick as a flash. A grab, a whirl, a splash, and the +hurling object disappeared beneath the calm waters just beyond the outer +bridge rail. The man beside Pep uttered a shout. He was so taken aback +at the unexpected event that he relaxed his hold on his captive. + +His cry had startled his companion at the wheel, who took it as a signal +of warning of some sort, and he instantly shut down on speed. It was +Pep's golden opportunity. Before the man beside him could prevent it, he +made a nimble spring out of the machine, landed on the planking of the +bridge approach, stumbled, fell, and then, as a crash sounded, dived +into a nest of shrubbery lining the stream. + +Pep did not wait to look back to trace the occasion of the crash. He +heard confused shouts and knew that the two men had gotten into some +trouble with the automobile. A light not over a hundred feet distant had +attracted his attention. Pep darted forward. He ran into a barbed wire +fence, then he crawled under it, and on its other side made out a +farmhouse. The light came from the doorway of a big barn, where two +persons, a man and a boy, were just unhitching a horse from a light +wagon. + +"Mister!" cried Pep breathlessly, running up to the men, "two thieves +had wrecked their automobile right at the bridge. They have stolen a lot +of money and jewelry. They tried to carry me away with them." + +"Run for my gun, Jabez," ordered the farmer, roused at the sensational +announcement. "Maybe they're the fellows who broke in here last week +when we were away at a neighbor's." + +The boy ran to the house. He soon reappeared with a clumsy +double-barreled shotgun over his shoulder. + +"Arm yourselves," directed the farmer, taking the weapon in one hand, +the lantern in the other. + +His son picked up a rake and handed a pitchfork to Pep. Then the boys +followed the farmer as he strode towards the road. + +The moonlight showed a wrecked automobile lying where it had been driven +into a little clump of saplings--breaking them off two feet from the +ground--and wedged in among the splintered branches. Evidently the +amateur chauffeur had in his excitement made a turn at the wrong moment. + +"Where's your robbers?" demanded the farmer. + +"They saw us coming and have run away," declared Pep. "Mister, I want +you to help me further and I will pay you for it." + +"What doing?" inquired the man. + +"As I told you, those men had stolen a lot of valuables. They were in a +little tin box. Just as we were passing over the bridge here I saw my +chance to outwit them. I flung the box into the river." + +"What!" exclaimed the farmer. + +"Sounds like a fairy story," remarked his son skeptically. + +"You find some more help, so if those fellows show themselves we can +beat them off or arrest them," observed Pep, "and I will prove what I +have told you and pay you well for your trouble." + +"Jabez, go and wake up the two hired men," directed his father. + +"I'm a pretty good swimmer and diver," said Pep, after the boy had gone +on his errand. "Is the water very deep?" + +"Six or eight feet." + +"Then the rake will help me," said Pep, proceeding to disrobe. He was +stripped of his outer garments by the time the boy Jabez had returned +with two sleepy-looking men. He was in the water at once. First he +probed with the rake. Then he made a close estimate of the spot where +the box was likely to have landed and took a dive. + +Pep came to shore and rested for a few minutes. Then he resumed his +labors. After a long time under water his head bobbed up. He uttered a +shout of satisfaction and waved aloft the tin box, its dripping covering +about it. + +"All right," he hailed. + +"A good deal in it, I suppose?" spoke the farmer, curiously regarding +it. + +"Yes, there is," replied Pep. "Hold it, please, mister, till I get my +clothes on. I want you to take me to Seaside Park right away--two of you +and the shotgun. If you'll do it you can charge your own price." + +"That's fair," nodded the farmer. + +He got the rig in the barn ready and told the two hired men they could +go back to their beds. They seemed, however, to have roused from their +sleepiness. Pep had told of a big fire in town, and that had influenced +them to accompany the crowd, "just for the fun of the thing," as they +expressed it. + +Jabez drove, Pep holding the rescued box, the farmer between them with +his shotgun ready for action. They saw nothing, however, of the robbers. +The latter seemed to have decamped. If they were lurking in the +vicinity, the sight of superior numbers kept them from making any +demonstration. + +As they got nearer to the town the glare of the distant fire was noted, +and young Jabez whipped up the horse and made good time. The building on +fire was pretty well consumed, but the fire department had saved +adjoining structures. Pep directed Jabez to drive to the Wonderland by +the rear route. He noticed that the living rooms were lighted up. + +"Wait here for a minute," directed Pep to those in the wagon, dashing up +the steps of the playhouse with his precious box. + + + + +CHAPTER XXII--A BIG REWARD + + +Pep burst in upon his friends filled to the brim with excitement. His +impetuous nature anticipated a great welcome as he felt that he had done +a big thing. As he crossed the threshold of the living room he found +that his friends had apparently just returned from the scene of the +fire. + +Frank and Randy were at the sink washing the grime from their faces. As +Pep learned later, they and Jolly and Vincent had been busy saving what +goods they could from the burning building. Jolly was brushing the +cinders from his coat with a whisk broom. Vincent was applying some +court plaster to a burn on the back of his hand. + +"There!" exclaimed Pep, planking the package down upon the table with a +flourish. "It's been some trouble, but I got it." + +"Hello, Pep," said Jolly. "Got what, may I ask?" + +Pep felt rather hurt at the cool way in which his return was greeted. He +did not realize that his friends were in ignorance of the burglarious +event of the hour, and his own sensational experiences. He had just been +missed and all hands supposed that he was lingering at the scene of the +fire. + +"Why, the box, of course," almost snapped Pep. + +"What box?" questioned Randy. + +Pep gave the wetted pillow case a jerk, freeing it of its enclosure, and +the little cash box was disclosed. + +"That box, of course," he announced. "What's the matter with you +fellows? I guess you've been asleep while people have been stealing from +you!" + +Frank advanced to the table, curiosity dawning in his expression as he +recognized the box. + +"I don't quite understand," he remarked. + +"Don't?" resented Pep. "Well, you ought to. Look at that," and he +exhibited the bump on his head, received when one of the robbers had +knocked him across the room and against the wall. "And that, too," and +Pep held up his chin so the red marks on his throat showed. "Then, too," +he continued, "half an hour ducking and diving in the cold waters of a +creek at midnight is no grand fun, I can tell you!" + +"Why, it looks as if our Pep has been up to something," observed Jolly, +coming to the table. + +"I've been down in front of the seat of an automobile and half choked to +death," replied Pep tartly. "I say, Frank, it was a good thing that I +didn't run off and leave the place unprotected, as you fellows did when +that fire broke out. Open the box and see if everything is all right." + +The appearance of the box and Pep's story made Frank and the others +grasp that he was discussing something of importance not yet fully +explained. + +"You had better commence at the beginning all over again, Pep," Frank +advised, "and let us know the whole story." + +It did not take Pep long to recite his recent adventures. He had an +interested audience. Frank drew the key of the tin box from his pocket +when Pep had concluded his story. He applied it to the lock. + +"Oh, the mischief!" fairly shouted Pep, glancing into it to find that +all it contained was a collection of pennies, nickels and dimes. "I've +been fooled, after all. These fellows rifled the box in some way----" + +"Not at all," answered Frank, with a reassuring smile. "It is my turn to +explain, Pep. When the fire broke out I thought instantly of the cash +box and the treasure it contained, so I took out the bills and the +necklace. Here they are," and Frank produced them from an inside pocket +of his coat. + +"Then--then----" stammered Pep, taken aback. + +"Then you are just as much a hero as if you had saved a whole bank of +money!" cried Frank, giving Pep a commending slap on the shoulder. + +"It was a big thing you did, Pep," declared Randy enthusiastically. + +Ben Jolly and Vincent added more approving words, and Pep warmed up to +his usual self at the praise of his friends. + +"There's the fellows outside to settle with," he suggested. + +"Glad to do it," said Frank. "There must be at least thirty dollars in +the box, so you have saved us a good deal, Pep." + +"Didn't catch a weasel asleep when they came in here!" chuckled Jolly in +Pep's ear. "You taught them something this time." + +The farmer was very modest in his charges. "Two dollars covered the +damages," he remarked, "and seeing the fire was worth half of that." + +It was getting well on to morning by the time all hands were settled +down. Vincent was the last to go to bed. He had got a card out of his +pocket and said he had some business down town. + +"It's to send a message to the city officer who took those two prisoners +to New York on the last train," he explained to Frank. "Of course there +is no doubt that the necklace was part of the proceeds of the burglary +he arrested them for." + +"I think you are right," agreed Frank. + +A quiet day in reading and rest did wonders in refreshing the tired out +motion picture friends after a week of unusual activity and excitement. +All were up bright and early Monday morning. + +"I tell you, this is genuine office business," said Frank, as he rested +at noon from continuous labors at his desk. + +"You take to it like a duck to water," declared Ben Jolly. + +"Who wouldn't, with the able corps of assistants at my command?" +challenged Frank. "Mr. Vincent took Mr. Booth off my hands. He knows the +man much better than I do and, as he expresses it, understands how to +keep that visionary individual in the traces. Pep and Randy seem to have +just the ability to get our new programme into the very places we want +them. Mr. Vincent has sifted out the supply men as they came along, and +those letters you got off for me took a big load off my shoulders, Mr. +Jolly." + +"It all amounts to having a good machine and starting it right," +insisted Jolly. + +The boys felt a trifle anxious as it began to cloud up about one +o'clock. A few drops of rain fell. It almost broke Pep's heart, Randy +declared, to see people begin to scatter along the beach and made their +way to shelters, and the hotels. + +"I'll try and stem the tide," observed Vincent smartly, as a bright idea +seemed to strike him. + +He dived into one of the bedrooms and reappeared in his band costume, +cornet in hand. + +"Open the door, Pep," he directed. "Never mind routine this time--what we +want to do is to get the crowd." + +Vincent posted himself under the shelter of the canopy that ran over the +ticket booth. Soon his instrument was in action. The delightful music +halted more than one hurrying group. The inviting shelter beyond the +open doors attracted attention. The word went down the beach. The shower +would be over in an hour and here was a fine place to spend the interim. + +"Twenty minutes to two and the house nearly full," reported Pep +gleefully, to Jolly at the piano. + +The shower was over in half an hour, but when the first crowd passed out +there was another one ready to take its place. About half the seats were +occupied when the second entertainment began, but during the programme +as many more came in. The last matinee could not accommodate the crowd. +The Wonderland caught the throngs going to the boats and trains as well +as those arriving. + +The boys and their friends were at supper when there was a visitor. He +proved to be the officer from the city who had arrested the two +burglars. He had come in response to the telegram Vincent had sent him. +The latter told him about the finding of the necklace and added the +story of Pep's later adventures. + +"The necklace is down at the bank in our safety deposit box," explained +Vincent. "We didn't want to risk having it around here any longer." + +"I knew from the circumstances and your description that it is part of +the plunder I am after," said the city officer. "I wish you would meet +me at the hotel in the morning. I will have the local police head there. +As a mere formality the goods will be delivered by you to him, who will +turn them over to me. Then I will give you an order for your share of +the reward." + +Randy pricked up his ears and Pep looked interested. + +"How much is it?" inquired Vincent. + +"Five hundred dollars. I think it fair to divide it; don't you?" + +"I know that will be very acceptable to our young friends here," +assented Vincent, nodding at Pep and Randy. "All the credit for finding +the necklace is theirs." + +Pep and Randy were considerably fluttered. They had their heads together +animatedly discussing their good fortune as Vincent accompanied his +visitor to the door. + +"I say, you lucky young fellows," hailed the ventriloquist airily, "what +you going to do with all that money?" + +"Oh, Randy and I have settled that," proclaimed Pep. + +"Have, eh?" + +"Yes, sir. That two hundred and fifty dollars goes into the capital fund +of the Wonderland." + + + + +CHAPTER XXIII--THE BROKEN SIGN + + +"It blew big guns last night, fellows," observed Randy Powell. + +"Yes, it has been working up to a storm for several days," said Ben +Jolly, casting a weather eye through the open window in the living room. + +Breakfast had just been announced by Jolly and as usual all were +hustling about to put in an appearance for the famous home-cooked meal. + +"We mustn't complain if we have a day or two of showery weather, Pep," +spoke Frank. + +"It means poor shows, though," lamented Randy. + +"We can stand that," replied Frank. "I think we have been more than +fortunate." + +"I should say so," remarked Jolly--"six shows a day and the house a clear +average of three-fourths filled." + +"How are our friends down at the National doing, Pep?" inquired Vincent. + +"Oh, so, so," was the careless reply. "They get their quota from the +Midway crowd, which we don't want. My friend who works for them says +they let things go half right, quarrel among themselves, and a few +nights ago Peter Carrington had a crowd of his boy friends in a private +box smoking cigarettes while the films were running. Peter doesn't speak +to me now when we meet." + +"I thought the building was coming down one time last night," spoke +Jolly. "There was damage done somewhere, for I heard a terrific crash a +little after midnight." + +"There won't be many bathers to-day," said Vincent, glancing out at the +breakers on the beach. + +Pep finished his breakfast and went out to the front of the building to +take a look at things. Just after he had opened the front doors his +voice rang excitedly through the playhouse. + +"Frank--Randy--all of you. Come here, quick!" Then as his friends trooped +forward obedient to his call he burst out: "It's a blazing shame!" + +"What is, Pep?" inquired Frank. + +"Look for yourself." + +"Oh, say! who did that?" shouted Randy. + +He and the others stood staring in dismay at the walk, that was littered +with glass, and then at the wreck of the electric sign overhead, which +had cost them so much money and of which they had been so proud. + +All that was left of it was "W--O--L--A--N--D" and woeful, indeed, the +dilapidated sign looked. Broken bulbs and jagged ends of wires trailed +over its face. Two bricks lay at the edge of the walk and the end of a +third protruded from the bottom of the sign. + +Randy was nearly crying. Frank looked pretty serious. Pep's eyes were +flashing, but he maintained a grim silence as he went over to the edge +of the walk and picked up one of the bricks. + +"That was your 'great guns' you heard last night," observed Pep looking +fighting mad. "Those bricks were thrown purposely to smash our sign. +Why--and who by?" + +There was not one in the group who could not have voiced a justifiable +suspicion, yet all were silent. + +"I think I know where that brick came from," proceeded Pep, trying to +keep calm, but really boiling over with wrath. "I'm going to find out." + +Pep tarried not to discuss or explain. The others stared after him as he +marched down the boardwalk in his headstrong way. Pep had in mind a +little heap of bricks he had seen two days before. They were made of +terra cotta, red in color and one side glazed. + +It was at the National that Pep came to a halt. Between the entrance and +exit some attempt at ornamenting the old building had been made. There +were two cement pillars and the space between them had been tiled. At +one side was a plaster board and a few of the bricks that had not been +used. The workman on the job had not yet tuckpointed the space he had +covered, and had left behind some of his material, a trowel and other +utilities. + +Pep went over to the heap. He selected one of the bricks and matched it +to the one he carried in his hand. He was standing thus when the door of +the National opened and three persons came out. They were Peter +Carrington, Greg Grayson and Jack Beavers. + +"Hello!" flared up Peter, as he caught sight of Pep, "what are you +snooping around here for?" + +"I'm running down the persons who smashed our electric sign last night, +and I'm fast getting to them," replied Pep. "Carrington, you're a pretty +bad crowd, all of you, and I'm going to make you some trouble." + +"What for? What about?" blustered Peter, and then he flushed up as Pep +waved the brick before him. + +"That brick and two others like it smashed our sign," he declared. +"There probably isn't another lot of them in town except here." + +"Well, what of it?" demanded Greg Grayson, sourly. + +"I'm not talking to you," retorted Pep. "We did enough of that after +your mean tricks at Fairlands. Whoever smashed our sign did it with some +of your bricks. You needn't tell me they didn't start out with them from +here. There's plenty of stones along the beach for the casual mischief +maker. You're trying to break up our show. Soon as I get the proofs I'm +after, I'll close yours and show you up to the public for the measly +crowd you are." + +"Say," flared up Peter, "this is our property and you get off of it, +or----" + +"Or you'll what?" cried Pep, throwing down the bricks and advancing +doughtily. + +"Easy, Carrington, easy," broke in Jack Beavers and he stepped between +the belligerents, "Don't raise a row," he pleaded with Pep. "There's +enough going on that's disagreeable without any more added." Then he +followed Pep as the latter went back to the street. "See here, I don't +want any trouble with you people," he went on in an anxious way. "So far +as I'm concerned, I give you my word of honor I don't know the first +thing about this sign business." + +Pep looked at the speaker's face and was almost tempted to believe him. + +"You needn't tell me!" he declared. "Those fellows are a mean lot and +they ought to be punished." + +Pep returned to the Wonderland with his tale. Frank tried to quiet him, +but Pep's indignation had got the better of him. + +"If you can make certain that the National crowd did this damage, we can +make them pay for it," said Frank, "but I don't want to proceed on +guesswork." + +"Oh, you know as well as I do that they did it, Frank Durham!" stormed +Pep. + +"I think they did, yes," acknowledged Frank, "but if we go to making any +charges we cannot prove Mrs. Carrington will hear of it, and I don't +care to offend her. Drop it, Pep. We'll have to take our medicine this +time. If it gets too flagrant, then we will go to the authorities with +it." + +Pep was not fully satisfied, however. He managed to see his friend who +worked for the National a little later, and tried to enlist his +cooeperation in ferreting out the vandals who had damaged the electric +sign. + +The latter could not be replaced entire without sending to the city for +some of the missing letters. This, however, led to one beneficial +result. When the duplicate letters arrived some colored bulbs +accompanied them, a suggestion of Jolly. Two nights later the brilliant +sign invited and attracted attention in its new varicolored dress, +showing up as the most conspicuous illumination on the boardwalk. + +The gusty, showery weather got down to a chill unpleasant spell finally. +On Thursday night the Wonderland was running, but to rather slim +audiences. There were few venturesome visitors to the beach in the +daytime and the matinee entertainments were curtailed. + +That night, however, the Wonderland had never had a more enthusiastic +audience. It was comprised of an entirely new crowd--people themselves in +the entertainment business and general trade lines, who could pick only +a slack business period to seek enjoyment. They knew what a good thing +was when they saw it and their generous approbation of the flood film +and of Hal Vincent's ventriloquial acts with his dummies made up for the +lack of numbers. + +"Fine thing!" said more than one. + +When the second show began a good many who had gone out came back again. +A pelting rain had set in, accompanied by a tearing wind. Randy had to +keep the window of the ticket office closed as well as he could, and Pep +shut the roof ventilators. + +It was in the middle of the last film that a great gust of wind shook +the building. In the midst of it the echo of the service bell of the +life saving station down the beach reached the ears of the audience. +Many began to get nervous. Just as the film closed there was a clatter +and crash and pieces of the broken skylight in the roof of the playhouse +clattered down. + +There were cries and a general commotion. Many arose to their feet. The +rain began to pour in from overhead. + +At that critical moment Frank closed the projector and shot on the +lights. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIV--THE GREAT STORM + + +"We're going to have a night of it." + +Ben Jolly spoke the words with a grim conviction that had its effect +upon his friends. Each could realize for himself that they were face to +face with an emergency. + +When the skylight was partly shattered by a loose board blown across the +surface of the roof, and the pieces of shattered glass and rain came +beating down, the flood of illumination quieted what might have been a +panic. Jolly had jumped to the piano stool. + +"There is no danger," he shouted--"just a broken pane of glass of two." + +Then he had resumed his seat and dashed off into a lively tune. People +could see now that they were in no immediate peril and could easily get +out. The dripping rain, however, dampered their amusement ardor. There +was a movement for the exit and the last film was left unfinished. + +Frank had got to Randy as soon as he could. He did not wish the report +to get out that the Wonderland was in any way unsafe, or have anyone +leave the place feeling that he had not got his full money's worth. He +summoned Pep to his assistance after giving Randy a quick direction. The +latter immediately proceeded to stamp the date and the seal of the +Wonderland across some blank cards. Then he came out into the entrance +archway with the others. + +"Here you are!" shouted the lively Pep. "Everybody entitled to a free +ticket. Good any night this week on account of to-night's storm. Let no +guilty man escape!" + +"Ha! ha! very good." + +"This is liberal." + +The crowd was put in rare good humor by Frank's happy thought. The doors +were left open and those who did not wish to go out into the pelting +storm, were told they were welcome to linger in the entrance and among +the rear seats until the rain let up. Meantime, however, Jolly and +Vincent were not idle. While their young friends were coaxing the +audience into good humor, the former had found a ladder, of which there +were several about the place. Vincent mounted it and got at the +skylight. + +It was pretty well broken and the wind threatened still further damage. +Jolly remembered a large canvas tarpaulin in the cellar that had been +used by the painters. By the time the front of the place was cleared of +the people he and Vincent had the skylight well battened down and +protected. + +"We're going to have a bad night," he reported as he came down the +ladder dripping. "A view of the beach from that roof to-night would make +a great moving picture." + +"I hope the storm won't move us, Mr. Jolly," said Frank a trifle +uneasily, as a fierce blast shook the building. + +There was nothing to do but to doubly secure all the doors and windows. +The roof of the living room proved to be leaky, but the use of pans and +kettles to catch the water provided against any real discomfort. + +"I think we had all better stay up," suggested Jolly. "I was in one of +these big coast storms a few years ago and before the night was through +we had some work on hand, let me tell you." + +The speaker proceeded to light the gas stove, put on some coffee to boil +and then announced that he was going to make some sandwiches. This +suited all hands. It seemed sort of cheery to nest down in comfort and +safety while the big storm was blowing outside. Pep and Randy began a +game of checkers. Vincent was mending one of his speaking dolls. Frank +was busy at his desk. They made quite a happy family party, when all +chorused the word: + +"Hello!" + +"Lights out," observed Jolly, himself the center of the only +illumination in the room, proceeding from the gas stove. + +"The electric current has gone off, that's sure," remarked Vincent. +"That means trouble somewhere." + +They waited a few minutes, but the electric lights did not come on. + +"Light the gas, Randy" suggested Frank. "I think we had better light one +or two jets in the playhouse, too, so we can see our way if any trouble +comes along." + +The playhouse was wired for electric lights, but had a gas connection as +well. The jet in the living room was lighted. + +Pep went out and set two jets going in the playhouse. They heard him +utter a cry of dismay. Then he hailed briskly: + +"Come out here. Something's happened." + +They all rushed in from the living room. Something had, indeed, +happened. Pep stood in half an inch of water, which was flowing in under +the front doors. + +"Why this rain must be a regular deluge!" cried Randy. + +"It's not rain," sharply contradicted Pep. + +"What is it, then?" + +"Salt water. Hear that--see that!." + +During a momentary hush they could hear a long boom as if a giant wave +was pounding the beach. Then a great lot of water sluiced in under the +doors. + +"Open up, Pep," directed Frank, "we must see to this right away." + +The moment the doors were opened a lot of water flowed in. But for the +incline it would have swept clear over the floor of the playhouse. +Meeting the rise in the seats, however, it flowed in about fifteen feet, +soaking the matting and coming nearly to the boys' shoe tops. Then it +receded and dripped away over the platform outside. + +All along the beach the electric lights were out, but the incessant +flashes of lightning lit the scene bright as day. Here and there among +the stores lanterns were in use, even candles, and where they had gas it +was in full play. + +The beach clear up to the boardwalk was a seething pool now. Whenever a +big swell came in it dashed over the walk and beat against the building +lining it. + +"See here," cried Randy in a great state of perturbation, "there isn't +any danger of the boardwalk going; is there?" + +"Part of it is gone already down near the slump," declared Frank. "Look, +you can see the beach from here. I hope the waves won't upset any of the +buildings." + +"They can't, right here, Durham," declared Jolly promptly. "You see, +there's a drop from us inland. The water will drain off, if it doesn't +come in too heavy." + +"I'll bet there's trouble over on the flats," suggested Randy. "See the +lights moving around." + +"Lock the doors, Pep," spoke Jolly. "We'll take a look around and see +just how bad things are." + +It was no easy task maintaining their footing on the boardwalk, for it +was slippery and at places gave where it had been undermined. Once a big +wave swept over the exploring party and threw them in a heap against a +building. People came running past them from the lower level of the +Midway. + +They could hear the life saving corps yelling orders and the storm bell +sounding out constantly in the distance. It was as they came to the +street that cut down past the National, that Frank and his friends +paused to survey a scene of great excitement. + +The street, as has been already noted, dropped away from the boardwalk +to a depression fully twenty feet below its level. This made it a +natural outlet, not only for the waves that beat up over the boardwalk, +but also for what drained laterally on both sides. + +"Why, it's like a regular water course," declared Frank. "I say, there's +someone needing help." + +"Just look at the National!" exclaimed Pep, as they returned from +carrying some crying children away from the menace of the flood. + +The rival playhouse stood at the lowest part of the depression. A long +platform ran to its entrance. This was fully four feet under water and +the lower story of the place was two steps lower down. Here the surplus +water had gathered, growing deeper every minute. The street in front was +impassable, and running two ways a veritable river, which cut off the +National as if it was an island. + +"I hope no one is in it," said Frank. + +"But there is!" cried Randy. "Look, Frank--that window at the side. Some +one is clinging to the window frame." + +The flashes of lightning, indeed showed a forlorn figure at the spot +Randy indicated. And then Vincent, after staring hard, cut in with the +sharp announcement: + +"It's certainly Jack Beavers!" + +"Hey, you!" yelled Pep, making a speaking trumpet of his hands and +signaling Peter Carrington's partner. "Help me fellows," and Pep sprang +upon a platform that had drifted away from its original place in front +of some store. + +Frank was beside him in a moment. Randy had got Jolly to help him tear +loose a scantling from a step protection. He joined the others, using +the board to push their unstable float along. + +The water was over six feet deep and the scantling was not much help. A +great gust of wind whirled them ten feet nearer to the playhouse +building. At the same time it blew over the chimney on its top. + +The boys saw the loosened bricks shower down past the clinging form in +the window. + +"He's hit!" shouted Pep. "He's gone down!" + +Jack Beavers fell forward like a clod and disappeared under the swirling +flood. In an instant the motion picture chums acted on a common impulse +and leaped into the water after him. + + + + +CHAPTER XXV--CONCLUSION + + +It was a moment of great suspense for Ben Jolly and the ventriloquist +as, without a moment's hesitation, the three motion picture chums dived +from their frail raft. The surface of the flood was so strewn with +pieces of floating wreckage--the bottom and sides of the newly formed +water way so treacherous--that it was a tremendous risk to get into that +swirling vortex. + +Frank and his companions were no novices in the water. They saw that +Jack Beavers had been struck down from the window sill by the falling +bricks, and had probably been knocked senseless. Almost immediately +after diving the heads of the boys appeared on the surface. + +"Got him!" puffed Randy. + +"Lift him up," directed Frank, swinging out one hand and catching at a +protruding window sill of the building. This purchase gained, all +exerted themselves to drag up the limp and sodden form of Peter +Carrington's partner. Frank and Randy kept the upper part of the man's +body out of the water. Pep swam after the floating platform they had +used a a raft. Jack Beavers, apparently more dead than alive, was placed +upon it. His rescuers pushed this over to where the water was shallow +and then carried the man into a drug store fronting the boardwalk. + +"I suppose I had better stay with him," observed Vincent, as Beavers, +after some attention from a physician who happened to be in the drug +store, showed signs of recovery. "I know him the best, although I can't +say truthfully that I like him the best." + +"Yes, he's struck hard lines, and it's a sort of duty to look after +him," said Ben Jolly. + +He and the boys put in nearly two hours helping this and that group in +distress among the storekeepers of the slump. They got back to the +Wonderland to find that its superior location had saved it from damage +of any consequence. + +A wild morning was ushered in with a chill northeaster. Daylight showed +the beach covered with wrecked boats and habitations. The tents over on +the Midway were nearly all down. The National was still flooded and the +street in front of it impassable. Very few of the frame buildings, +however, had been undermined. + +The worst of the storm was over by afternoon, but no entertainment was +given until the next evening. A big transparency announced a flood +benefit, and five thousand dodgers telling about it were circulated over +the town. + +It was a gala night for the Wonderland. There were few of the minor +beach shows as yet in condition to resume operations, and after +twenty-four hours of storm everybody seemed out. + +"At least seventy-five dollars for the benefit of the poor families down +on the beach," observed Pep. "Say, let me run down and tell them. It +will warm their hearts, just as it does mine." + +"All right," acceded Frank. "I guess you can promise them that much, +Pep." + +Frank and Jolly stood in front of the playhouse talking over affairs in +general as Pep darted away on his mission of charity. A well-dressed man +whom Jolly had noticed in the audience, and one of the last to leave the +place, had loitered around the entrance. Now he advanced towards them. + +"Is there a young man named Smith connected with your show?" he +inquired. + +"Yes, sir," replied Frank. "He has gone on a brief errand, but will soon +return." + +"I'll wait for him," said the stranger, and he sat down on the side +railing. + +Frank went inside as Randy appeared with his cash box. Jolly remained +where he was. Finally Pep came into view briskly, happy faced and +excited. + +"Some one to see you--that man over there," advised Jolly. + +"Is that so? Stranger to me. Want to see me?" he went on, approaching +the stranger. + +"If you are Pepperill Smith." + +"That's my name," vouchsafed Pep. + +"The same young man who was the guest of Mr. Tyson at Brenton?" + +"Guest!" retorted Pep, in high scorn. "Oh, yes, I was a guest! Fired me +the first time he got mad." + +"Oh, well, we all have spells of temper we are sorry for afterwards," +declared the man smoothly. + +"Is Mr. Tyson sorry?" challenged Pep. + +"He is, for a fact. You see--well, he gave you some papers, cheap stocks +or bonds; didn't he, instead of cash for your services? He thought maybe +you'd rather have the money. I've got a one hundred dollar bill for you. +If those papers are lying around loose you might hand them over to me." + +"I haven't got them," said Pep, and the man looked disappointed. "Maybe +my friend preserved them. Oh, Mr. Jolly," and Pep called the pianist +over to them and explained the situation. + +"H'm!" commented Jolly thoughtfully, when Pep had concluded his story, +and glancing keenly at the stranger, "you seem to have discovered some +value to the stock you refer to." + +"Oh, I suppose these stock brokers know how to juggle them along," +responded the stranger, with assumed lightness. + +"Well, as I understand it, they were given to my friend Smith." + +"Undoubtedly--why, yes, that is true." + +"As their custodian," continued Jolly, "I want to look into this +matter." + +"I wouldn't. Waste of time. All a tangle," insisted the stranger. "Look +here, let me give the boy two hundred dollars." + +"You can give Pep all you want to," observed Jolly, "but I shall advise +him to see how the market stands on that stock before he delivers those +securities." + +"Hum! ha! quite so," mumbled the stranger in a crestfallen way. + +"And we will let Mr. Tyson know our decision in a day or two." + +"I see--well, I will report the result of my negotiation to my client." + +"Negotiation? Aha! Client? A lawyer, then," observed Jolly, as the man +reluctantly moved away. "Pep Smith, I'll investigate that stock of yours +with the first break of dawn. There's something more to this than +appears on the surface." + + * * * * * + +"Wasn't that Jack Beavers I just saw you talking to?" inquired Hal +Vincent of Frank, as the latter approached him on the boardwalk. + +"Yes, poor fellow," replied Frank. "I have been having quite a +conversation with him." + +"Making a poor mouth about his misfortunes, I suppose?" intimated the +ventriloquist. + +"Not at all, Mr. Vincent," explained Frank soberly. "He is all broken +up, but more with gratitude towards us for saving his life the night of +the storm than anything else. He acts and talks like a new man. Peter +Carrington and Greg Grayson left him in the lurch with a lot of debts, +and he is trying to get on his feet again." + +"In what way?" + +"Some friend has happened along and is willing to fix things up at the +National. He came to me to say that he felt he had no right to come into +competition with us, after owing his very existence to our efforts the +other night." + +"What did you tell him, Durham?" + +"I told him to go ahead and make a man of himself and a success of the +show, and that he need expect nothing but honest business rivalry from +us." + +"Durham," spoke the ventriloquist with considerable feeling, "you're +pure gold!" + +The bustling pianist appeared on the scene all smiles and serenity at +that moment. + +"Where's Pep Smith?" he inquired. + +"Up at the playhouse." + +"That so? All right. Come along, and see me give him the surprise of his +life. You know I went down to Brenton to see Mr. Tyson about that stock? +Well, I'm back--minus the stock. I've got something better. Look there." + +Ben Jolly held a certified check before the dazzled eyes of his friends. +It read: "Pay to the order of Pepperill Smith Two Thousand Dollars." + +"This good fortune will about turn Pep's head," declared Frank Durham. + +"Why, those shrewd fellows will get double that out of it," said Jolly. +"It seems that the company is on the rocks, but a reorganization is +being attempted and it can't be put through without a majority of the +stock. Pep's holdings fit in snugly, so they had to pay me my price." + +Pep Smith gasped as Jolly recounted all this over again to him in the +living room back of the photo playhouse. + +"What are you going to do with all that money, Pep?" inquired Randy. + +Pep waved the precious bit of paper gaily and jumped to his feet with +glowing eyes. + +"What am I going to do with it?" he cried. "And what could I do but put +it into the Wonderland business fund! Why, just think of it! When the +season is over at Seaside Park we have got to look for a new location; +haven't we?" + +"That's sure," agreed Ben Jolly. "You boys have made a success of the +motion picture business so far and I want to see you keep it up." + +And so, with both playhouses in the full tide of prosperity, we bid +good-bye to our ambitious young friends, to meet again in another story +to be called: "The Motion Picture Chums on Broadway; Or, The Mystery of +the Missing Cash Box." + +"My, but we have been lucky!" declared Randy. + +"That's what," added Pep. + +"Well, we've had to work for our success," came from Frank. + + THE END + + + + +THE TOM SWIFT SERIES + +By VICTOR APPLETON + +12mo CLOTH, ILLUSTRATED. PRICE PER VOLUME 40 CENTS, POSTPAID + +These spirited tales convey in a realistic way the wonderful advances in +land and sea locomotion. Stories like these are impressed upon the +youthful memory and their reading is productive only of good. + + TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR CYCLE + Or Fun and Adventure on the Road + + TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR BOAT + Or The Rivals of Lake Carlopa + + TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIRSHIP + Or The Stirring Cruise of the Red Cloud + + TOM SWIFT AND HIS SUBMARINE BOAT + Or Under the Ocean for Sunken Treasure + + TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RUNABOUT + Or The Speediest Car on the Road + + TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIRELESS MESSAGE + Or The Castaways of Earthquake Island + + TOM SWIFT AMONG THE DIAMOND MAKERS + Or The Secret of Phantom Mountain + + TOM SWIFT IN THE CAVES OF ICE + Or The Wreck of the Airship + + TOM SWIFT AND HIS SKY RACER + Or The Quickest Flight on Record + + TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RIFLE + Or Daring Adventures in Elephant Land + + TOM SWIFT IN THE CITY OF GOLD + Or Marvelous Adventures Underground + + TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER + Or Seeking the Platinum Treasure + + TOM SWIFT IN CAPTIVITY + Or A Daring Escape by Airship + + TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA + Or The Perils of Moving Picture Taking + + TOM SWIFT AND HIS GREAT SEARCHLIGHT + Or On the Border for Uncle Sam + + TOM SWIFT AND HIS GIANT CANNON + Or The Longest Shots on Record + + TOM SWIFT AND HIS PHOTO TELEPHONE + Or The Picture that Saved a Fortune + +Grosset & Dunlap, 526 West 26th St., New York + + + + +THE BOYS OF COLUMBIA HIGH SERIES + +By GRAHAM B. FORBES + +Never was there a cleaner, brighter, more manly boy than Frank Allen, +the hero of this series of boys' tales, and never was there a better +crowd of lads to associate with than the students of the School. All +boys will read these stories with deep interest. The rivalry between the +towns along the river was of the keenest, and plots and counterplots to +win the championships, at baseball, at football, at boat racing, at +track athletics, and at ice hockey, were without number. Any lad reading +one volume of this series will surely want the others. + + The Boys of Columbia High; + Or The All Around Rivals of the School. + + The Boys of Columbia High on the Diamond; + Or Winning Out by Pluck. + + The Boys of Columbia High on the River; + Or The Boat Race Plot that Failed. + + The Boys of Columbia High on the Gridiron; + Or The Struggle for the Silver Cup. + + The Beys of Columbia High on the Ice; + Or Out for the Hockey Championship. + +12mo. Illustrated. + +Handsomely bound in cloth, with cover design and wrappers in colors. + +Price, 40 cents per volume. + +GROSSET & DUNLAP, Publishers, NEW YORK + + + + +THE OUTDOOR CHUMS SERIES + +By CAPTAIN QUINCY ALLEN + +The outdoor chums are four wide-awake lads, sons of wealthy men of a +small city located on a lake. The boys love outdoor life, and are +greatly interested in hunting, fishing, and picture taking. They have +motor cycles, motor boats, canoes, etc., and during their vacations go +everywhere and have all sorts of thrilling adventures. The stories give +full directions for camping out, how to fish, how to hunt wild animals +and prepare the skins for stuffing, how to manage a canoe, how to swim, +etc. Full of the very spirit of outdoor life. + + THE OUTDOOR CHUMS + Or, The First Tour of the Rod, Gun and Camera Club. + + THE OUTDOOR CHUMS ON THE LAKE + Or, Lively Adventures on Wildcat Island. + + THE OUTDOOR CHUMS IN THE FOREST + Or, Laying the Ghost of Oak Ridge. + + THE OUTDOOR CHUMS ON THE GULF + Or, Rescuing the Lost Balloonists. + + THE OUTDOOR CHUMS AFTER BIG GAME + Or, Perilous Adventures in the Wilderness. + +12mo. Averaging 240 pages. Illustrated. Handsomely bound in Cloth. + +Price, 40 Cents per Volume + +GROSSET & DUNLAP, NEW YORK + + + + +THE RISE IN LIFE SERIES + +By Horatio Alger, Jr. + +These are Copyrighted Stories which cannot be obtained elsewhere. They +are the stories last written by this famous author. + +12mo. Illustrated. + +Bound in cloth, stamped in colored inks. + +Price, 40 Cents per Volume, Postpaid. + +THE YOUNG BOOK AGENT, Or Frank Hardy's Road to Success + + A plain but uncommonly interesting tale of everyday life, describing + the ups and downs of a boy book-agent. + +FROM FARM TO FORTUNE, Or Nat Nason's Strange Experience + + Nat was a poor country lad. Work on the farm was hard, and after a + quarrel with his uncle, with whom he resided, he struck out for + himself. + +OUT FOR BUSINESS, Or Robert Frost's Strange Career + + Relates the adventures of a country boy who is compelled to leave home + and seek his fortune in the great world at large. + +FALLING IN WITH FORTUNE, Or The Experiences of a Young Secretary + + This is a companion tale to "Out for Business," but complete in + itself, and tells of the further doings of Robert Frost as private + secretary. + +YOUNG CAPTAIN JACK, Or The Son of a Soldier + + The scene is laid in the South during the Civil War, and the hero is a + waif who was cast up by the sea and adopted by a rich Southern + planter. + +NELSON THE NEWSBOY, Or Afloat in New York + + Mr. Alger is always at his best in the portrayal of life in New York + City, and this story is among the best he has given our young readers. + +LOST AT SEA, Or Robert Roscoe's Strange Cruise + + A sea story of uncommon interest. The hero falls in with a strange + derelict--a ship given over to the wild animals of a menagerie. + +JERRY, THE BACKWOODS BOY, Or the Parkhurst Treasure + + Depicts life on a farm of New York State. The mystery of the treasure + will fascinate every boy. Jerry is a character well worth knowing. + +RANDY OF THE RIVER, Or the adventures of a Young Deckhand + + Life on a river steamboat is not so romantic as some young people may + imagine, but Randy Thompson wanted work and took what was offered. + +JOE, THE HOTEL BOY, Or Winning Out by Pluck. + + A graphic account of the adventures of a country boy in the city. + +BEN LOGAN'S TRIUMPH, Or The Boys of Boxwood Academy + + The trials and triumphs of a city newsboy in the country. + +GROSSET & DUNLAP, NEW YORK + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Motion Picture Chums at Seaside +Park, by Victor Appleton + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MOTION PICTURE CHUMS *** + +***** This file should be named 36964.txt or 36964.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/6/9/6/36964/ + +Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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