Wolcott LeCléar Beard

“ Seldon looked around the shabby room and made a despairing gesture.
"That's not a bad idea, just the same," said Jimmy, in reply to Seldon's gesture. "We can brace up the looks of the room here by clubbing our stuff. Then we'll get a lot of people down here who can do things—singing and monologues and the like; we know plenty—and then ask a lot of others to hear 'em. We can kill off a lot of people that way; dinners and things—those dances, for instance, that Seldon's growling about." ”

“ When we came to the eatables, Terry, still standing by the window, showed signs of interest. The other fellows noticed this, and nudged each other to call attention to it.
"We can get Slattery and Mary to serve the stuff," said Seldon, "but we ought to have more help than that. Good scheme to have a boy in buttons. Terry, how'd you like the job?"
Terry turned from the window. "A job here, to wait on youse?" he asked.
"Yes; to get into tight clothes with buttons all over them, and to open the door and so on. How'd you like it?" asked Seldon, laughing. ”

“ We were quite accustomed to these notices, it is true; but formerly they had been matters of no great importance, merely reminders of rather a humorous nature that the agent wanted some money; and he always got it, sooner or later. But this, coming from Siegel, was another matter, and we all looked rather grave as Seldon tacked it to the wall where the others that we had received at different times were collected. Still, there was nothing for us to do but wait until our money came, so we finished writing the invitations and sent Terry out with them. ”

“ There was little knowledge needed to tell how badly the kicks had injured the poor little brute.
"Say, youse don't t'ink he's go'n' ter croak, do youse?" asked the boy, as I looked up.
I did think so, and there was no use denying it. "I'm afraid he will," I said. Then the boy looked so distressed that I added: "But we'll hope he comes out all right."
As if in answer to my speech, the dog whined again and tried to struggle to his feet, then fell back, shivered, and was dead.
"Never mind, Terry," said Seldon, kindly. "We know what hard luck it is, but you've just got to brace up and take it. ”

“ The people inside won't know what's become of you. They'll think that something's wrong."
But I appealed once more to Siegel. "You've seen the receipts," I said. "You can come again, if you like, in the morning, but you'd much better go quietly now."
"Er else you'll get fired out again," supplemented Terry.
Siegel was beyond prudence now. He announced his intention of bodily ejecting our guests, and was so ill-advised as to take a step toward the door.
"Well, you had your choice, you know," said Sam.
The song was nearly finished when we all, except Sam and Terry, returned to the room. ”

“ It lasted through the afternoon and into the evening, when we were dressed and waiting for the first guests to appear. We had each a carefully suppressed apprehension as to how and when Siegel would break out next. At last the door-bell rang, and Seldon went to see that Terry was at his post In a moment he returned, running, and holding two envelopes in his hand.
"I just looked into the office as I came by, and these were in the box," he called. "I believe they're our checks." ”

“ Here the man said something we could not catch.
"1 know it's de wrong side er de buildin'. We was lookin' fer anudder job. Leave 'im be. We'll go out. Leave 'im be, I say, er I'll push yer face in wid dis!" ”