“Get down to the facts, Pep,” ordered Randy.
“He’s bow-legged and so cross-eyed that if he cried the tears would run behind his ears,” declared Pep, going on with his story in his own way, in lofty disdain of his tormentor. “For all that, he’s a rare genius. It seems that he got a big idea. It was for a play and pageant on Forefathers’ Day. He wrote a sort of dramatic screed all around a lot of subjects and scenes—historical—see?”
“Historical,” repeated Professor Barrington. “That sounds promising. In what way, may I ask, my young friend?”
“Why, he got up a lot of scenery. Then his amateurs played the pilgrims landing on Plymouth Rock. He worked in one or two well-known battles the colonists had with the Indians. Then he has that tea-throwing act in Boston Harbor. Oh, yes, and the Battle of Bunker Hill, and Paul Revere’s Ride, and—oh, a heap of things!”
“What good is a play for us?” asked Randy. “The Standard isn’t a theatre.”
“Wait till I get to the point; won’t you?” pleaded Pep. “Well, Frank, Bohm intends to interest patriotic citizens in a big blowout with his play and pageant Forefathers’ Day. Then the idea came to him that it would make a good film, so he had all the scenes photographed in order. They are full of action and they make a good one thousand-foot reel.
“I asked Bohm if he didn’t want to release it. He said perhaps, after his own exhibition. Then I got him interested in what we were going to do here at the Standard. He said that if he was paid a fair price and got the announcement before the public that the film was to be pictured on Forefathers’ Day, he might consider it.”
“Why, see here,” remarked Ben Jolly, “that would make a fine special. It’s local and it would take, I am sure. A ‘Tabloid of History.’ Don’t you think that sounds right, Durham?”
“I do, indeed,” responded Frank. “Pep, I would like to see this Mr. Bohm.”
“Come along; I’ll take you to him,” urged Pep.