“‘S-st!’” repeated Pep, as the machine started on its way—“now what in the world does Peter Carrington mean by ‘S-st?’” CHAPTER VII—BUSINESS BOYS “I hope I did right, fellows,” said Frank. “You never do any other way,” declared Randy Powell loyally. “Exactly my sentiments,” echoed the impetuous Pep Smith. “You’ll say so, too; won’t you, Mr. Jolly?” “I don’t have to say it,” retorted Ben Jolly quickly, “you all know I think it. You’re a man of business, Frank Durham, and a Philadelphia lawyer couldn’t have conducted this deal in a neater, squarer way.” “Thank you,” acknowledged Frank, slightly flustered at the compliments of the coterie of friends about him. The new photo playhouse at Seaside Park was a certainty. When the boys came down from their rooms at the hotel the morning after the visit from Mrs. Carrington and her companion, the clerk called to Frank as he was leaving the place. “Telephone message for you last night, Mr. Durham,” he said. “It came about ten o’clock and as it was not urgent and I did not wish to disturb you, I thought I would keep it until this morning.” The speaker handed a memorandum slip to Frank. It read: “Attorney William Slade, on request of Mrs. Carrington, would like to see you in the morning.” Frank showed the memorandum to Randy and Pep. The chums at once realized what it meant. It evinced the determination of the strong-willed Mrs. Carrington to have her own way. In fact the boys had come to the conclusion that she should do so. With Ben Jolly, up in their room after their visitors had departed, they had gone over the entire proposition in detail. “You would be foolish to allow this chance to get the capital you need in this business go by,” advised Jolly. “Putting aside the fact that this lady feels indebted to you, her offer is fair, square and business-like.” Frank thought over the affair in its every phase long after Randy and Pep had gone to sleep. Jolly and Vincent had gotten a free shelter for their rig and left the hotel to sleep in the wagon. “Used to that, you know—the only way in the world to live,” asserted Jolly, and then they made an arrangement to meet in the morning. The ’phone message at once set things in motion. The chums had breakfast, Frank learned the address of Mr. Slade, and about nine o’clock started for his office, which was located over the bank of the town. “You had better meet Mr. Jolly, as we agreed,” directed Frank to his companions. “Where will you pick us up again?” questioned Randy. “Why, I think I shall not be with this Mr. Slade more than an hour,” explained Frank. “Say, then,” suggested Pep, “suppose we go over to the empty store you’re thinking of turning into a motion picture show and hang around there?” “That empty store has a remarkable fascination for you, Pep,” smiled Frank. “You bet it has,” confessed Pep. “Mr. Jolly is just as wild over it. I shouldn’t wonder if he was looking it over carefully the first thing this morning.”