“Well,” finished Dunton, “I more than half expected to be cut down, but nothing of the kind happened. I remember with what scorn Mr. Merriwell said he would not stain his sword with my treacherous blood. I remember how I felt after that. No person can understand the tumult of feelings in my heart. I thought of running away. You complimented us on the duel after the curtain had fallen, Mr. Havener, but you warned us that we were far too reckless, and we must not do it that way again. I believed Mr. Merriwell would expose me then. He did not. Then I was sure he would do so very soon. He did not. I waited in suspense as long as I could stand it, and then I came and asked him when he was going to blow the whole thing. He said he was going to wait and see how I behaved in the future, and that he had no thought of blowing if I didn’t try it again. Well, I haven’t tried it. Have I, Mr. Merriwell?” “No,” answered Frank, “we haven’t had much trouble since then.” “And to think I never knew a thing about this before!” exclaimed the stage manager. “Mr. Merriwell never breathed a word of it to me—not a word.” “Of course he didn’t!” exclaimed Ephraim. “He never blows anything.” “Mr. Dunton kept his word to me,” said Frank. “I am sure it was my place to keep mine to him.” “And you engaged him for your own company!” “Yes; he was too good a man to let slip. I had a place for him, and he has filled it.” “And I think,” said Douglas Dunton, seriously, “that my association with Frank Merriwell has improved me in various ways. Anyone who takes him for a model is bound to improve.” “That’s right, b’gosh!” nodded Gallup. Hodge came rushing into Merriwell’s room almost as soon as Frank arrived. He waved two papers over his head in a triumphant way, crying: “Great stuff, Frank—great stuff!” Merry was astounded, for such a demonstration on the part of Hodge was almost unprecedented. “What is it?” asked Frank. “The dramatic papers from the East.” “Well, what about them?” “Got full reports of ‘True Blue’ in ’em. Great stuff, I tell you!” “Well, this is interesting. The papers must have given the play a good send off?” “Great—simply great! Here’s the _Dramatic Reflector_, the leading New York paper, and it has almost a quarter of a column about the production of your piece in Puleob.” “As much as that?” “Yes. And the _Snipper_ gives you a good long notice, too. The _Reflector_ says ‘True Blue’ is a winner from the start, and you are a dandy in your part. The _Snipper_ does not give the cast, same as the other paper, but its notice is just as complimentary. Here, read ’em, read ’em!” Frank took the papers and read the notices. His face showed his satisfaction. “It is better than I expected,” he said. “Now I understand how it happened that I received notice in St. Jo that there was an opening in New York for the week that I desired. The manager of the theater had seen these notices.”