BUSINESS BOYS
揑 hope I did right, fellows,?said Frank.
揧ou never do any other way,?declared Randy Powell loyally.
揈xactly my sentiments,?echoed the impetuous Pep Smith. 揧ou抣l say so, too; won抰 you, Mr. Jolly??
揑 don抰 have to say it,?retorted Ben Jolly quickly, 搚ou all know I think it. You抮e a man of business, Frank Durham, and a Philadelphia lawyer couldn抰 have conducted this deal in a neater, squarer way.?
揟hank 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.
揟elephone message for you last night, Mr. Durham,?he said. 揑t came about ten o抍lock 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: 揂ttorney 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.
揧ou would be foolish to allow this chance to get the capital you need in this business go by,?advised Jolly. 揚utting 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.
揢sed to that, you know梩he only way in the world to live,?asserted Jolly, and then they made an arrangement to meet in the morning. The 抪hone message at once set things in motion. The chums had breakfast, Frank learned the address of Mr. Slade, and about nine o抍lock started for his office, which was located over the bank of the town.
揧ou had better meet Mr. Jolly, as we agreed,?directed Frank to his companions.
揥here will you pick us up again??questioned Randy.
揥hy, I think I shall not be with this Mr. Slade more than an hour,?explained Frank.
揝ay, then,?suggested Pep, 搒uppose we go over to the empty store you抮e thinking of turning into a motion picture show and hang around there??
揟hat empty store has a remarkable fascination for you, Pep,?smiled Frank.
揧ou bet it has,?confessed Pep. 揗r. Jolly is just as wild over it. I shouldn抰 wonder if he was looking it over carefully the first thing this morning.?
揤ery well,?said Frank, 搘e will all meet there say at eleven o抍lock.?
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.
揑 insisted that we give the lady a bill of sale of all our belongings as security,?explained Frank. 揟he lawyer laughed at me. 慪ou don抰 know a good thing when you see it,?he said. 慞erhaps not,?I told him; 慴ut 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.
揑抦 only a sort of drifter-in,?observed Jolly, 搒o what I say is only out of friendly interest. I would advise that just one of the firm take the responsibility, if he抯 willing, on the lease and in all business dealings. It simplifies things, you see.?
揑t抯 got to be Frank, then,?spoke Randy.
揑t will always be Frank,?echoed Pep. 揌e抯 the brains of the business; isn抰 he??
揑 don抰 like the way you put it as to your being a drifter-in, as you call it, Mr. Jolly,?said Frank. 揑f it wasn抰 for you I am afraid the Fairlands venture wouldn抰 have amounted to much.?
揝ho!?derided Jolly modestly.
揑t抯 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抦 going to have mine.?
揂re you??challenged Jolly, with twinkling eyes.
揧es, sir, I am. I shall make a definite new deal all around.?
揥ill you??said Jolly.
揇on抰 you doubt it. You抳e been a staunch, helpful friend and it抯 equal partners, if we come to Seaside Park.?
揟hat is, you think you are going to make a business man of me??
揧ou抳e been one all along,?vociferated Pep. 揥hy, that noise wagon idea alone棗?
揂 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.
揗rs. Carrington backing you; eh??he observed. 揟hat 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梱ou lease the premises until October first, pay me the first month抯 rent before you come in and give me your word that you won抰 break the lease??
揑 wouldn抰 take the place on any other arrangement,?said Frank.
揑t抯 settled, then,?said their landlord, and Pep followed him as he went to the window where the 揟o 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.
揝-st!?sounded a sudden hail and the ubiquitous and mysterious Peter Carrington came into evidence just outside the open doorway.
揌ello!?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. 揥hat you snooping around for??
揥anted to see you.?
揂ll right,?nodded Pep carelessly. 揧ou don抰 have to 慡-st?at me regularly to get my attention, though. What抯 on your mind??
揑 see the rent sign is down.?
揧es,?proclaimed Pep grandly, 搘e have leased the premises.?
揥ell, I抦 dead gone on being a partner. Aunt Susie discourages me, but I don抰 care for that. There抯 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棗?
揝ay, we have all the capital we need,?announced Pep.
揙h, you have??
揂 new partner just came in.?
揌uh!?snorted Peter. 揝ay, you don抰 mean my aunt??
揝he is not a partner, no.?
Peter looked abashed, then disappointed, then angry.
搾Tain抰 fair!?he declared.
揥hat isn抰 fair??
揑 spoke first and I deserve to have a show.?
揘o 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.
揝ee here,?he said with a half-cunning expression in his face, 揑 suppose you know a heap about the movies??
揙h, tolerable, tolerable,?responded Pep, who did indeed think so.
揂nd you remember Greg Grayson, of Fairlands??
揑 have a perfectly clear memory of Mr. Gregory Grayson,?answered Pep, his nostrils dilating, but Peter was too obtuse to read between the lines.
揥ell, I抳e got an idea,?chuckled Peter. 揂nybody has a right to start a movies show; haven抰 they??
揑f they want to, I suppose.?
揥ell, since I can抰 make a deal with that Durham, I抦 going it on my own hook. I can raise the money; Greg抯 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抣l 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.
揧ou get out!?he ordered staunchly.
揌ey??goggled Peter.
揂nd stay out!?
揌umph!?
Peter got to a safe distance. Then he shook his fist at Pep.
揝ay,?he snarled, 搚ou抳e waked up the wrong customer. I抳e given you the chance of your life and you抳e turned me down and insulted me. I抣l 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抰!?