E-text prepared by Steven desJardins and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by the Google Books Library Project (http://books.google.com) Note: Images of the original pages are available through the the Google Books Library Project. See http://books.google.com/books?vid=r08TAAAAYAAJ&id No. 77 Bound-to-Win Library [Illustration: Cover.] AHEAD OF THE SHOW Or The Adventures of Al Allston, Advance Agent By FRED THORPE, Author of "Blind Luck," "The Boy in Black," "Chris, the Comedian," "Git Up and Git," "Walt, the Wonder Worker," etc.... [Illustration] Street and Smith, Publishers 238 William Street, New York Copyright, 1897 By Norman L. Munro Ahead of the Show CONTENTS I. AL MAKES APPLICATION. 5 II. AL TALKS BUSINESS. 12 III. AL'S SCHEME. 17 IV. AL TO THE RESCUE. 24 V. AL CLAIMS HIS REWARD. 29 VI. ANOTHER ROCK AHEAD. 35 VII. THE DEBUT. 41 VIII. A STARTLING SITUATION. 47 IX. A CLOSE CALL. 53 X. AN INTERVIEW WITH THE MAYOR. 61 XI. IN PERIL. 67 XII. INTERVIEWED. 73 XIII. A STROKE OF LUCK. 80 XIV. AL'S AD. 87 XV. SAVED BY A SHADOW. 91 XVI. A LESSON IN JOURNALISM. 97 XVII. "I WANT YOU." 103 XVIII. MR. MARMADUKE MERRY. 109 XIX. A STARTLING ACKNOWLEDGMENT. 115 XX. THE LOCKET. 121 XXI. BROTHER AND SISTER. 127 XXII. AN AWFUL CATASTROPHE. 133 XXIII. AN EVENTFUL NIGHT. 139 XXIV. A CLEW. 145 XXV. ON THE TRACK. 151 XXVI. "DR. FERGUSON." 157 XXVII. AN UNLUCKY ERROR. 163 XXVIII. AN EXCITING INTERVIEW. 169 XXIX. A DANGEROUS JOB AHEAD. 175 XXX. HARD LUCK. 181 XXXI. A WOMAN'S VENGEANCE. 187 XXXII. AND LAST. 193 AHEAD OF THE SHOW. CHAPTER I. AL MAKES APPLICATION. "If I had that fellow here I'd make him wish he'd never heard the name of Augustus Wattles. And I'll do it some day, too." The manager and proprietor of Wattles' New York Comedy Company was very, very "mad." His naturally florid face was redder than usual, and his fists were clinched in a manner that augured no good to the "fellow" referred to, had that individual chanced to appear upon the scene at this precise moment.