CHAPTER XXII
THE MOVING PICTURE AGAIN
The moving picture theater was fairly well filled, but the fourmanaged to obtain seats close to the middle of the auditorium. Theyhad entered while a slap-dash comedy was being depicted--somethingthat set the audience laughing heartily. Then followed a parlor drama,which was more notable for its exhibition of fashions than it was forplot or acting.
"This sort of thing makes me tired!" was Tom's comment. "I like to seeoutdoor life much better."
Another one-reel comedy of life on the canal followed the parlordrama, and then there was flashed on the screen the words: "His LastChance."
"Here we are!" murmured Sam, and sat bolt upright with renewedinterest, while Tom did likewise. The first scene of the drama showedthe interior of a farmhouse sitting-room and kitchen, and the boyseasily recognized several of the men they had seen at the river andthe railroad station. There followed quite a plot and a number ofother scenes around the farm, and also at a stone quarry which all ofthe lads recognized as being located at Dexter's Corners. Then came apretty love scene at the farmhouse, followed by a quarrel between someof the men in an apple orchard.
"Say, that's Blinks' apple orchard, just as sure as fate!" exclaimedDick, in a low voice.
"So it is!" answered Sam. "Many's the time we've got apples there!"
The quarrel in the apple orchard was followed by a fishing scene onthe river not far from Humpback Falls, where Sam once upon a time hadhad such a strenuous adventure. Then of a sudden came the quarrel inthe boat followed by the shooting.
"Say, that looks just as it did when we saw it taken!" exclaimed Sam,enthusiastically. "This moving picture business is a great thing,isn't it?"
"It isn't just as we saw it," chuckled Tom. "They didn't show how thatfellow who went overboard came up again and swam ashore."
"Oh, that would spoil the plot of the play," answered his youngerbrother.
Other scenes in the drama were shown, one in a barnyard full of cowsbeing especially realistic. Then came the scene inside the railroadstation at Oak Run, and all of the boys and Dora laughed heartily whenthey saw the look of astonishment on old Ricks' face as he peeredthrough his ticket window at the actor who had come in for a ticket.
"I'd give a dollar to have old Ricks here looking at himself,"whispered Tom. "Wouldn't he be surprised?"
"Oh, look! look!" exclaimed Dora, in a low tone. "Sam and Tom, I dodeclare!"
The scene had shifted suddenly, as do all scenes in moving pictures.Now was shown the platform of the Oak Run railroad station. The trainwas coming in, and there were Sam and Tom as natural as life,dresssuit cases in hand, ready to get aboard. The train stopped andsome passengers alighted, and Tom and Sam climbed the steps of thelast car.
"And look! Tom is waving his hand to some one," went on Dick's wife."Isn't it great!"
As the train began to move away, one of the leading actors in thedrama was seen to rush across the platform and grasp the rail of thelast car. As he was holding himself up, another of the persons in thedrama rushed after the train, shaking his fist wildly; then the train,with Tom and Sam and the moving picture actor on the back platform,disappeared from view, and in a twinkling the scene shifted back tothe farmhouse once more.
"Well, we're movies' actors sure enough!" was Tom's comment, afterthey had seen the last of the little drama and were out on Broadwayonce more. "What do you think of us, Dora?"
"Oh, it was fine, Tom!" she answered. "I'd like to see it again."
"Well, they advertise it for to-morrow, too," said her husband, "soyou can go in the afternoon when we are at the offices."
"I'll certainly do it!"
"I shouldn't mind seeing this picture again myself," said Sam. "Ifthey have it to-morrow night, let's come up, Tom."
"All right, I'm willing. I suppose they are showing the thing all overthe country."
The next day proved a very busy one for the three Rover boys, and forthe time being the moving picture was completely forgotten. About teno'clock, Mr. Powell came to see them regarding an investment whichAnderson Rover had made during the time that Pelter, Japson & Companywere his brokers. This investment now called for a further outlay of alittle over seven thousand dollars, and the boys had to find somemeans of raising that amount.
"Now you see if we had those bonds handy, it would be an easy matterto put some of them up as collateral with some of the banks; but, asit is, it is going to squeeze us," said Dick.
"And you have got to take care of that other matter of twelve thousanddollars the middle of next month; don't forget that," broke in thelawyer. And then he added: "Of course, if you want money to help youout----"
"Thank you very much, Mr. Powell, but I think I can manage it,"returned Dick.
He and his brothers had talked their plans over carefully, and hadreached the conclusion that they would not ask for outside assistanceunless it became absolutely necessary. They wanted to show both theirfamily and their friends that they could "stand on their own bottom,"as Dick expressed it.
"You have no word in regard to the bonds?" questioned Mr. Powell, whenhe was ready to leave.
"Not a word. We hired that detective you recommended, but he said itwas a difficult case to handle, and that we must not expect too much."
When the Rover boys returned late that afternoon to the Outlook Hotel,they found that Dora had gone out and had not yet returned. She hadleft a note on her table stating that she was going to look again atthe moving picture in which Sam and Tom had taken part.
"Oh, yes, we mustn't forget to go there to-night, Sam!" cried Tom."It's better than looking at yourself in the looking-glass, isn't it?"and he grinned.
Six o'clock came, and then half-past, and still Dora did not showherself. As the time went by, Dick began to get a little worried.
"That show ought to be out by this time," he said to his brothers."Generally those moving picture places kind of run down between sixand seven o'clock. If they are continuous they throw in some old stuffor a lot of advertising matter just to fill in the time."
"Well, maybe she stopped on the way to do some shopping," suggestedSam. "The stores must prove a great attraction to her."
"She told me yesterday that she was rather tired of shopping,"answered the young husband. "You see, she went at it pretty strong atthe start, so there isn't so very much left in the way of novelty. Ithink I'll go down and look for her;" and a minute later Dick left theapartment.
"It doesn't take much to worry him when it concerns Dora," remarkedTom, dryly.
"Well, it wouldn't take much to worry you if it concerned Nellie,"retorted his younger brother.
"That's true, Sam; and the same would hold good with you if it wereGrace." And then Tom dodged as Sam picked up a sofa pillow and threw,it at him.
The little French clock belonging to Dora was just chiming out thehour of seven when the two boys heard Dick and his wife coming throughthe hallway. They were talking earnestly, and evidently the young wifewas quite excited.
"Oh, such an experience as I've had!" cried Dora, as she came in andsank down into an easy chair.
"Well now, try to calm yourself," said Dick, soothingly. "It's allover now."
"What was it about?" demanded Tom. "Did somebody hold you up, or tryto steal your purse?"
"Maybe an auto tried to run over you," suggested Sam.
"No, it was none of those things," answered the young wife. "I've justhad the strangest experience!"
"She met that gardener you spoke about--the fellow who lost his jobat the seminary," explained Dick. "That chap named Andy Royce."
"Why, where did you meet him?" exclaimed Sam. "Did he know you?"
"Yes, he knew me quite well. When I was at Hope he used to do errandsfor me now and then and I tipped him quite liberally, so he rememberedme," answered Dora.
"But I met him in the strangest way. He was at the subway stationarguing with the ticket man, who insisted upon it that Royce had notput a ticket in the box. He wanted th
e gardener to put another ticketin, and Royce said he wouldn't do it. They had a very warm dispute,and a policeman came up to see what it was all about. Then, thinkingthat perhaps Royce didn't have any more money with him--he lookedterribly shabby--I told him I would get another ticket. Then hesuddenly broke down and I thought he was going to cry. I paid foranother ticket, then the train came along and we both got on board."