He would sell the whole lot, not excepting old Tray;
And as good luck would have it,—”
Frank. (Turning Harry by the collar and pulling him back.) I tell you to get out of this until I have spoken my piece.
Harry. I won’t. Let me alone, I say. You have stuck fast, and do you want to spoil the exhibition? Didn’t you know enough to keep off the stage until I had spoken my piece?
Frank. (Still holding him by the collar.) It is you that are spoiling the exhibition. (Leads him off the stage.)
Harry. (Speaking loudly as he goes out.) I call this an outrage.
Frank. (Returning to his place and commencing to speak.) Ladies and gentlemen, my speech has been interrupted, and I will commence again. Our performances are now about to commence. We have spent some time in preparing for this exhibition, and we hope you will be pleased with all the performances that may be given. You know that we have not had much practice in giving school exhibitions, and if you see any errors, we hope you will kindly forgive and overlook. We will endeavor to give our recitations correctly, and act our parts truthfully, and we ask you to—to—and we ask you to—and act our parts truthfully, and we ask you to—and we ask you to—(In a lower tone.) I’ve forgotten it again; isn’t that too bad? (Speaking as before.) And we ask you to—to—to—
(Enter Tommy Watkins. He comes in front of Frank, and commences to speak “The Ghost.”)
“’Tis about twenty years since Abel Law,
A short, round, favored merry