“MAGGIE M.” “Grammar school!” exclaimed Hodge, as he passed the note on to Ephraim. “She should attend the primary! What a fool she must be!” “Oh, I dunno!” grunted Ephraim. “She says Frank is all right. There ain’t northin’ foolish abaout that.” “It is likely the poor girl has had no opportunities,” said Merry. “I am sorry for her.” “Look out!” warned Hodge. “If you get up a feeling of sympathy for all the females who write you mash notes you’ll be in hot water. Every popular young actor has to dodge girls who want to steal him.” “By thutter! I’ve notissed some of this comp’ny don’t do mutch dodgin’,” grinned Gallup. “What do you mean?” asked Frank. “Waal, they have mashes in ev’ry place they go to.” “But they do not bother with the girls who get mashed on them?” “Don’t they!” “Do they?” “I guess yes!” “How do you know?” “I’ve got eyes.” Frank frowned a little. “I do not like to carry round men who will give my company the reputation of being a lot of mashers,” he said, soberly. “Of course there is such a thing as a ‘harmless flirtation,’ but the girl who flirts with a strange actor is very foolish. She is playing with fire, and there is great danger that she will be burned.” “But you can’t stop it,” said Hodge. “I haven’t been on the road very long, but I have found out that girls everywhere are ready to make fools of themselves over any old thing that is an actor.” “Why, you haven’t been flirting with them?” “I rather think not! You know well enough, Merriwell, that I do not take any stock in girls. All the same, I’ve never been in a place yet where I could not have made the acquaintance of girls. Mind, I say girls—not a girl.” “It’s remarkable that intelligent girls should be so foolish.” “Foolish is the word for it, Merriwell. And surely most of the girls seem intelligent enough. Some of them are very pretty.” “And those bright and pretty girls are willing to become acquainted without an introduction with actors of whom they know absolutely nothing! Strange.” “By gum!” broke in Ephraim. “It does seem that they’ll take any old thing they kin git ef it is an actor.” Frank shook his head, looking very grave. “How do they know but they are flirting with married men?” “Some of um don’t seem to keer a rap.” “Those must be bad girls, don’t you think, Ephraim?” “I dunno. Some of um don’t seem so bad.”