Mr. Tyson had not overstated the case when he told Randy that Pep was well cared for. As Randy entered a great luxuriously furnished room upstairs he saw his comrade propped up in bed, his arm in a sling and a table spread with dainties directly at hand.
“You tell him to stay here,” whispered Mr. Tyson in Randy’s ear, and left the two boys to themselves.
Pep grinned as he welcomed Randy. He moved his injured arm to show that he was by no means helpless.
“I’m booked here for a week, Randy,” were his first words—“but why not? There won’t be much to do around the new show for some days to come, and if there was I wouldn’t be any help with my crippled arm.”
Then Pep in a modest way went on to give details of the accident.
“You see,” were his concluding remarks, “I’m comfortable and well cared for here and, as the surgeon says, I might have trouble with my arm if I got careless with it. Mr. Tyson says he will pay me for any loss time, so don’t worry about me. I’ll show up at Seaside Park before the week is over with a neat little lot of cash in my pocket, and fresh and strong to help get the new Wonderland in ship shape order.”
Thus Pep dismissed the incident of the hour, so Randy went “home,” rather lonesome without his chum. Neither guessed for a moment that there was to grow out of the circumstance something destined to affect their whole business career.
CHAPTER X—THE PRESS AGENT
“I hardly know how to thank you, Mr. Vincent,” spoke Frank Durham.
“Don’t try to,” replied the ventriloquist, in his usual offhand way.