“Say,” Jack whispered to Tom, who came in just then, “going to try for any of those prizes?”
“Naw,” replied Tom, vigorously chewing gum. “I can’t do nothin’. Some of the fellows are, though. Arthur Little is going to recite, and Sam Parsons is going to do some contortions. Why, do you want to try?”
“I’d like to.”
“What can you do?”
“My clown act,” replied Tom. “I’ve got some new dancing steps, and maybe I could win a prize.”
“Sure you could,” replied Tom generously. “Go ahead. I’ll clap real loud for you.”
“Guess I will,” said Jack, breathing a little faster under the exciting thought of appearing on a real stage. He had often taken the part of a clown in shows the boys arranged among themselves, but this would be different.
“Ah, there goes the curtain!” exclaimed Tom, as the orchestra finished playing the introduction, and there was a murmur all over the auditorium, as the first number of the vaudeville performance started.
CHAPTER III
JACK IS PUNISHED
The show was a fairly good one, and Jack and the other boys, as well as older persons in the audience, enjoyed the various numbers, from the singing and dancing, to a one-act sketch.