Isn't he going to show up!"
"You betcher sweet!" she gurgled, and passed on.
At 8:25 I rushed into Skinski's dressing room, put on a swift
makeup, dove into Skinski's fright wig, hid my face behind a false
moustache and goatee, and prepared to sell my life dearly.
"What are you going to do?" asked Bunch in wild alarm.
"I'm going out and pull a few mouldy tricks till Skinski gets
here," I answered heroically.
Then I gave the warning to the leader and rang up the curtain.
I was greeted by a harsh round of applause as I stepped out and I
could feel both knees get up and leave my legs.
I pulled myself together, picked up a pack of cards and began to do
things with the deck that no mortal man ever saw before, while
Bunch stood in the wings with his teeth chattering so loud they
sounded like a pedestal clog accompaniment.
Then I picked up an egg where Skinski had placed it on the tabaret
and started in to do something mysterious with it.
Just as I raised the egg to show it to the audience I got a flash
of the stage box on my right, and there, gazing curiously at me,
sat Peaches and Alice Grey and Aunt Martha.
I was so surprised I dropped the egg, and it lay at my feet in the
form of an omelet, while the house roared with joy.
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