ruling. Therefore Johnny marked out the letters as Ben had
said, and after Dickey's return with the tacks the flowers were put
up, forming a very gorgeous and badly spelled word.

Before the partners had finished admiring this very beautiful ornament
on the wall of their theatre, a noise was heard on the stairs, and, on
looking out, Dickey announced, by many frantic gestures, that the
author was coming. It was a moment of anxious expectancy, for at last
they were to know the result of their partner's labors, and they were
to be shown just what they were to do on the important occasion.
Dickey was particularly anxious, probably fearing lest his part should
not be such as would admit of his carrying a sword and shield.

Mopsey walked into the room with slow and measured step, as if he knew
the weight of the words he was about to speak, and feared lest, being
too heavy, they might topple him over. But Master Dowd was not one who
did anything in a careless manner; he did not deign to speak until he
had walked the length of the room, disappeared behind the scenery, and
stalked out upon the stage, holding a huge sheet of paper in his hand
as if it was a weapon with which he was about to strike any refractory
member of the firm, should his play not be exactly to their liking.

[Illustration: "WHO PUT THAT UP?"]

"Fellers," he said, as he cleared his throat, and then noticing the
female portion of his company, he corrected himself by saying,
"Fellers an' Nelly: When we first made up our minds to build this
theatre--" Here he waved his roll of paper around as if to designate
which theatre he meant. The movement drew his attention to the new
ornament, and caused him to forget what he was about to say.

"Who put that up?" he asked, almost angrily.

"I did," said Johnny, and then, anxious to shift any responsibility of
the spelling to the shoulders on which it belonged, he added, "but Ben
spelled it."

"Well, fix it," commanded the disturbed author. "If any of the fellers
should see that they'd think we didn't know nothin' at all. Put it
w-e-double l-k-o-m."

Johnny started to obey him, thinking with delight that he had been
almost right before, and Mopsey continued:

"When we built this place I said I'd fix up a play myself, so's we'd
be sure to have everythin' all right; but business has been so good,
an' I had so much trouble with my pea-nut roaster--for I broke it
twice, an' had to hire one offer the Italian that keep