"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 compet.i.tors 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 a.s.sure 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,"
fl.u.s.tered 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."