[Illustration] Frank Merriwell’s Prosperity OR TOIL HAS ITS REWARD BY BURT L. STANDISH AUTHOR OF “_The Merriwell Stories_” [Illustration] STREET & SMITH, PUBLISHERS 79-89 SEVENTH AVE., NEW YORK CITY [Illustration] Copyright, 1899 By STREET & SMITH Frank Merriwell’s Prosperity FRANK MERRIWELL’S PROSPERITY. CHAPTER I. WHEN RAGE RULES. The scene was the stage of the Star Theater in Atchison, Kansas, and the occasion the rehearsal of Frank Merriwell’s company in his new play, “True Blue.” From the first night “True Blue” had been a success; the playgoers of Puleob, Colorado, who had witnessed the failure of its first version, welcomed “True Blue” enthusiastically and assured Frank, as Roscoe Havener, his stage manager, had put it, that he had a “winner.” Frank had chosen to turn back toward the East, instead of continuing on to the Pacific coast, for it was late in the season and business was on the decline. It would be better for the members of his company if the play closed its run in the East, leaving them on the ground when the time came to make engagements for the coming season. Besides that consideration, Frank had other reasons in turning Eastward. The failure to keep the dates made for “John Smith” and the partial failure of “For Old Eli” had made it difficult for him to secure theaters for “True Blue” on the Western route, while it was comparatively easy to secure good bookings on the way Eastward. So it happened that the “True Blue” company had jumped from Puleob straight across Colorado and Kansas to Atchison, where they were to open that night. All the actors, except Frank, were on the stage carefully rehearsing, as Havener was determined that only by constant drill could slips be avoided, and he aimed to have a perfect performance. As the afternoon waned, more than one glance of comment had been exchanged by the other players as they witnessed Bart Hodge’s repeated acts of insubordination. Bart seemed to be in a very unpleasant frame of mind, favoring everybody with savage glances and paying absolutely no attention to the directions of the stage manager. In the eyes of actors there is no more unpardonable offense than to treat the stage manager thus. And Havener was not the man to overlook such offenses. Obviously he was incensed. But he understood how close to Frank Bart was, how strong were Frank’s feelings of friendship and loyalty to the dark-haired youth, and he controlled his wrath until finally he could tolerate the behavior of Hodge no longer. He called out sharply: “Hodge!” “Sir?” “Come back!” “Well?”