"You dear boy!" cried Mrs. Carrington, placing a hand on Frank's arm, "I can imagine what a lovely mother you must have and for her sake you must let me help you along in your business enterprise. Come, Mr. Durham, explain your needs to me and let me co-operate with you."

The invitation was irresistible. Long since Frank had calculated all the risks and chances of success in his new enterprise and had decided that it could scarcely fail.

"Mrs. Carrington," he said in a straightforward way, "I would not allow any person to invest money in a business where there was the remotest risk of loss. We lack a few hundred dollars to start a photo playhouse at Seaside Park in the right way. If you feel in a position to advance it or become responsible for what we need, I wish to secure you so that in case the venture goes wrong we will be the only losers."

"I not only feel willing to a.s.sist you," said Mrs. Carrington, "but I insist upon it. It is very simple-how much capital do you require? Have you my check book in your hand bag, Miss Porter?"

"No! no! no!" interrupted Frank urgently, "you must not think of doing such a thing as that, Mrs. Carrington. It isn't business, you see. If you have some agent or lawyer who will act for you, that will be the best way."

The kind lady looked disappointed at the suggestion. In her free-hearted way she wished to trust Frank without restriction. He saw that her feelings were hurt and he hastened to say:

"My partners will feel ever so much better to have everything arranged in a regular way and set down in black and white."

"Very well, have your own way, Mr. Durham," said the lady, "only promise to come to me if you have any troubles or further lack of funds."

"Oh, we shall not," declared Frank, brightening with courage and confidence as he saw all obstructions to the success of the new show removed; and before he realized it, in his quick, vivid way he was reciting his plans and prospects in detail. Frank told more than he had started out to do, for the reason that every time he paused his auditors plied him with new questions and urged him on with his story.

"How very, very interesting," commented Mrs. Carrington.

"It is simply delightful!" declared Miss Porter, with sparkling eyes.

"Oh, dear! it must be such a splendid thing to be a boy!"

"I must see your young friends," insisted Mrs. Carrington. "I owe them sincere thanks for their part in the rescue, and wish to tell them so."

There was nothing for it but that Frank should go for his chums. Randy was naturally bashful in the presence of strange ladies, but Pep was "all there." Both Mrs. Carrington and Miss Porter were interested in the lively lad whom they attracted from the start and made Pep feel completely at home with his impetuous, original ways and remarks.

The boys promised to call upon Mrs. Carrington as soon as they got settled at Seaside Park. Then all three escorted the visitors to an automobile waiting at the curb. Beside the chauffeur they found Peter Carrington seated. He nodded familiarly to the chums. Then he caught Pep's eye.

With an air of great importance and a quick glance at his aunt and her companion, as if making sure that they were not observing him, he placed a finger to his lips.

"S-st!" he uttered, and winked in an altogether mysterious manner at Pep Smith.

"'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 fl.u.s.tered 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," a.s.serted 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."

"Very well," said Frank, "we will all meet there say at eleven o'clock."

Then Frank had gone on his way to report at the empty store half an hour earlier than he expected. He found his chums and Ben Jolly anxiously awaiting him. Vincent had remained with the horse and wagon at the barn.

There were some old chairs at the rear of the vacant building, and Mr.

Morton invited them to make free use of them. It was quite a business conclave that grouped together while Frank told his story. It was clear and simple. Mrs. Carrington had instructed her attorney to advance up to one thousand dollars to Frank and his friends as needed.

"I insisted that we give the lady a bill of sale of all our belongings as security," explained Frank. "The lawyer laughed at me. 'You don't know a good thing when you see it,' he said. 'Perhaps not,' I told him; 'but I know an honorable way to protect those who have confidence in me, as far as I can.' Well, anyhow, I made him write out a memorandum of the whole transaction and signed a bill of sale. Was I going too fast in setting myself up as the one man of this very enterprising firm? I hope I did exactly right."

And then followed the hearty sanction of Jolly and the boys to all Frank had done.

"I'm only a sort of drifter-in," observed Jolly, "so what I say is only out of friendly interest. I would advise that just one of the firm take the responsibility, if he's willing, on the lease and in all business dealings. It simplifies things, you see."

"It's got to be Frank, then," spoke Randy.

"It will always be Frank," echoed Pep. "He's the brains of the business; isn't he?"

"I don't like the way you put it as to your being a drifter-in, as you call it, Mr. Jolly," said Frank. "If it wasn't for you I am afraid the Fairlands venture wouldn't have amounted to much."

"Sho!" derided Jolly modestly.