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:
揥ho抯 that??
揥hy, it抯 me桺eter,?came the cool reply. 揇on抰 you remember??
Peter桺eter Carrington梥talked 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.
揊eels good to rest,?he enlightened his grim and astonished hosts. 揌ad a message for you, and the hotel clerk directed me to your room. Say, you must fancy climbing four flights of stairs!?
揧ou seem to have made it,?observed Randy, in a rather hostile tone, while Pep seemed bristling all over.
揋lad I did,?piped Peter, cheerfully. 揥ouldn抰 have missed it for worlds. Just in time to hear you fellows going over your dandy scheme, and say梚t抯 a winner! Photo playhouse on the beach! Why, it抣l coin money!?
Nobody said anything. Frank was minded to treat the intruder civilly and resumed his chair. Suddenly Pep flared out:
揌ave you been waiting out in the hall there, listening to our private conversation??
揋uess I have; glad I did,?chuckled the thick-skinned Peter. 揑 heard you say you were short of funds and something about a partner. What抯 the matter with me? I suppose you know my aunt is rich and we抮e some folks here. We live up on the Terrace梞ost 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抎 advertise you, my friends would, till there抎 be nothing but standing room left.?
揟hink so??observed Randy, drily.
揔now it. I抦 my aunt抯 heir, you know, and she抯 got scads of money. She抯 been drawing the tight rein on me lately. I smashed an automobile last week and it cost her over four hundred dollars, and she抯 holding me pretty close on the money question. But in business, she抎 stake me for anything I wanted. Says she wants to see me get into something.?
揧ou got into the water when the motor boat blew up, all right,?remarked Pep.
揌ey??spoke Peter, struggling over the suggestion presented. 揙h, you mean a joke? Ha! ha! yes, indeed. Business, though, now,?and Peter tried to look shrewd and important.
揥e have not yet decided what we are going to do,?said Frank. 揂s 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.?
揑 wish you would come right up to the house now and tell my Aunt Susie all about it,?pressed Peter, urgently.
揑 couldn抰 think of it,?answered Frank. 揘o, you leave matters just as I suggest and we will see what may come of it.?
揝ay, Frank,?whispered Pep, on fire with excitement, 搚ou don抰 mean to think of encouraging this noodle; do you??
揑 want to get rid of him,?answered Frank, and all hands were relieved to see the persistent Peter rise from his seat.
揙h, say,?he suddenly exclaimed棑I came for something, that抯 so. My aunt wants to see you, all three of you. Miss Porter gave her your names and addresses and she wouldn抰 rest until I had come down here. She wants you all to come to dinner to-morrow evening and she won抰 take no for an answer.?
揥hy, we may not be here then,?said Frank.
揙h, you must come,?declared Peter, 搉ow I have a chance to go in with you. I couldn抰 think of your not seeing her. Look here,?and Peter winked and tried to look sly棑Aunt Susie is no tightwad. She is the most generous woman in the world. She抯 minded to give you fellows a fine meal and treat you like princes. She considers that you saved her life and she can抰 do too much for you. Say, on the quiet, I抣l bet she makes you a present of fifty dollars apiece.?
揥hat for??demanded Frank.
揊or getting to that burning boat and saving all hands, of course. Why, I wouldn抰 take the risk you did of being blown up for a thousand dollars.?
揘o, I don抰 think you would,?announced Pep, bluntly.
揑抣l tell you,?went on their guest棑if you抣l give me a tip on the side I抣l 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:
揑 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:
揥hy! do you live at Fairlands??
揧es,?nodded Frank, wondering what was coming next from this extraordinary youth.
揟hen you know Greg Grayson??
揙h, yes,?admitted Randy.
揑 should think we did!?observed Pep, with a wry grimace.
揥hy, then, we抮e regular friends,?insisted Peter, acting as if he was about to embrace all hands. 揌e was my roommate at school. We were like twin brothers.?
揗aybe that抯 the reason!?muttered Pep.
揌is 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抰 all right梪p to snuff and all that梐nd if I wouldn抰 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 損ut the proposition up to Aunt Susie?forthwith, and that they would hear from him on the morrow.
揊rank,?exclaimed Pep, 搃t seems good to get rid of that fellow.?
揂 fine partner he抎 make,?observed Randy, with a snort.
揑 am dreadfully sorry he overheard our plans,?spoke Frank. 揙f 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.?
揂nd to think of his knowing Greg Grayson, and playing him off on us as a recommendation!?cried Pep.
揟hey make a good pair,?added Randy. 揥hy, I抎 give up the whole business before I would have either of them connected with our plans in any way.?
揑 wouldn抰 wonder if Mr. Jolly might happen along if we stay here a day or two longer,?remarked Frank. 揧ou know he was the first to suggest a look at Seaside Park with a view to business.?
揟hat抯 so,?said Randy. 揇id you write to him, Frank??
揧es. 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.?
揃en Jolly told me he wasn抰 going to stay idle all summer. Nor let us do it, either,?observed Pep. 揌e抣l have something fresh to tell us when we see him.?
揥ell, when we left Fairlands I sent him a few lines telling him that we were going to look over the field here,?said Frank. 揟hat is why I think he may drop in on us.?
揑 wish he would,?declared Randy. 揗r. Jolly knows so much about the business. What抯 the programme for to-morrow, Frank??
揥hy, 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抍lock to get an idea of the evening crowds. This filled them more than ever with ardor as to their prospective business undertaking.
揑 say,?Randy had observed, 揹on抰 you see, Frank, there aren抰 enough amusements to go around??
揧es,?Frank had assented, 搕he 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抯 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.
揝ay, just listen to that!?exclaimed Pep, in a pleased tone.
揑t抯 one of those trick whistles,?declared Randy.
揟hen it抯 an extra fine one,?said Pep.
揑 think you are mistaken, boys,?suggested Frank. 揟hose are real human notes梐t least almost exact human imitations of bird tones.?
揥ell, 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梐nd 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抯 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 揥hoa!?to the horse and turned his face toward the chums, Pep Smith uttered a great shout.
揥hy, fellows, see,?he cried, in mingled glee and surprise棑it抯 Ben Jolly!?