“You think so,” he said; “but I don’t fancy you know him very well for all that you have been acquainted with him so long. I’ve never liked his looks. To me he seemed to be a chap who would hesitate at no crime.” Vance saw that Merry had been investigating the grip, and he fancied his words would give the young actor-playwright a start, but Frank’s nerve was unruffled. “What are we going to do?” demanded Garland. “Yes, that’s the question,” said Dunton, anxiously. “We can’t play without Hodge to-night.” “It strikes me that he has played you dirty, Mr. Merriwell,” said Granville. “And he is the fellow with whom you have been so friendly!” “A nice friend!” muttered Vance, sneeringly. Frank was sick at heart, but his calm face did not betray the pain he felt. “It is possible you do not understand how matters stood,” he said. “I had no contract with Hodge.” “Didn’t?” cried Dunton. “Really?” exclaimed Garland. “That’s queer!” ejaculated Vance, in disappointment. “No,” said Frank, “I had no contract with him, and so he has broken no pledge to me in leaving in this manner.” “Still,” said Dunton, “there must have been some sort of understanding between you, and Hodge was pretty cheap to skip out without giving any sort of notice.” “Not exactly the act of a friend of whom one can be proud,” broke from Garland. “I think you’ll have to acknowledge that, Mr. Merriwell.” Frank was determined to defend Bart as far as possible. “You do not know all that happened at the theater to-day,” he said. “Hodge and I had some words.” It was galling for him to make that confession, but he felt that something must be said to explain the sudden desertion of Bart. Garland whistled a bit. “Then that must have happened before the unpleasantness between Hodge and Vance?” he said. “It did,” nodded Merry. “Hodge left me in anger. He is hot-blooded and impulsive, and he did not stop to reason about the matter. He has skipped out, it is evident, but I believe he will cool down and come back when he comes to think it all over.” “But he’ll be treating you dirty if he doesn’t come back in time for the performance to-night,” said Garland. “You would not be likely to take him back if he returned to-morrow. I’m sure you wouldn’t take back any of the rest of us if we served you such a trick.” “You can’t be sure of anything of the sort,” said Frank, sharply. “You were not with the company when Leslie Lawrence deserted and returned to beg pardon. I did not fancy Lawrence, he was not a friend, and yet I took him back. If Bart Hodge returns to-morrow, I shall take him back.” “Oh, you can do as you like about that,” said Garland. “I suppose you would take him back if he had stolen your clothes from you?” asked Vance, jeeringly. “If I chose to I certainly should,” answered Merry, his eyes seeming to bore Bart’s enemy through.