“I beg your pardon, Mr. Dunton,” he said, “but there is a matter I wish to speak about.” “Oh, it’s all right,” grinned Douglas. “I knew you didn’t want to catch on there, old man. Elsie Bellwood or Inza Burrage is your style. This girl——” “How did you know I mean to speak of the girl?” “Oh, that wasn’t so hard to guess! She’s all broken up over you, but I think she can be induced to forget you. She is a little beauty, only she’s rather light-headed and thinks she’d like to be an actress.” “Foolish child!” said Merry, scowling. “She needs somebody to look after her closely.” “Oh, I wouldn’t mind taking the job of looking after her.” “In what way, Dunton? How did you meet the girl?” “Oh, she was walking around outside the theater, and I simply walked up and spoke to her.” “You never saw her before?” “Of course not. It was a case of mash.” Frank scowled still more. “Dunton,” he said, “I hope you are not a masher. I hope you do not make it a practice of trying to mash pretty girls in the places where we play.” “Oh, of course not; but when——” “Mashing actors I detest,” declared Frank, plainly. “They have done no end of harm. They have given the profession a bad name. I would like a company who did not make a business of mashing.” “Oh, I don’t make a business of it!” protested Douglas. “But when a fellow sees a nice little thing like this, he doesn’t feel like letting it go by—especially when it is easy.” “I am sorry you spoke to the girl. She has an innocent face. Dunton, I wish you would let such girls alone.” “What? Why, you wouldn’t want the members of your company running around with fly girls in the places where we go, would you?” “No! I want them to mind their own business. I hope you will understand me, my dear fellow, and will not be offended. I do not wish my people to get a bad name by associating with those who are bad; nor do I wish them to get bad names by misleading those who are weak and foolish. It is likely that little girl has a mother who——” “No; her mother is dead.” “So much the worse. She has no one to look out for her and restrain her. She can easily be influenced in the wrong direction. No man who is a man will mislead such a girl.” Dunton was restless. “Oh, you’re putting it too strong, Mr. Merriwell,” he said. “There is no harm in a little flirtation with a pretty girl. Don’t be jealous because I happened to catch on to her before you came along.” He tried to turn this remark with a laugh, but Frank said: “You know very well that is not why I am speaking to you. There was something about that girl’s innocent face that made me sorry for her. She is trembling on the brink of a downward path, I am sure of it. She is a girl not naturally bad, but she has her head filled with false notions, and she needs somebody to look out for her till she gets old enough to become aware that those ideas are false.”