“You are trying your best to insult me now,” she said, “and you are succeeding very well! I’d like to tell you what I think of men like you, but I haven’t the time, and I don’t choose to waste my breath on you now. In some respects, I admire you; in others, I despise you. You are like all men, thoroughly unjust toward women. Other men may hide their thoughts, but you speak out; that is the difference. Men talk of the fickleness of women, but experience shows that women are far more constant than men. Once a woman loves a man truly, with all her heart and soul, she never loves another like that. She gives that man all that is best of her. What does she receive in return? If he provides her a home, clothes, food, he thinks he is doing his full duty. Don’t talk to me of the fickleness of women!” she hissed. “Don’t ever dare speak to me again like this, Bart Hodge! Sometimes I think I admire you, but when you show yourself as you have just now, I despise you!” With that she left him; but she did not despise him, for all of her words. And Bart? He was trembling all over. “By Heaven!” he hoarsely whispered. “I could love her, but I won’t!” CHAPTER XVIII. AN ASTONISHING SHOT. The overture was finished, and the orchestra played a “riser” for the curtain to go up. “True Blue” began. It was an audience to make any actor do his best. Gallup in the part of _Reuben Grass_ soon put the audience in a good humor. He strolled onto the stage in his jay make-up, singing the song with which he had made such a hit in Merriwell’s first play: “I alwus mind what dad says ter me Sense fust he tuck me uver his knee; But when I’m away ’way outer his sight I do jest abaout as any boy might; Fer then I know that he’ll never see That I don’t mind what he says ter me.” The audience received him with a burst of applause, and Ephraim responded by getting off several country gags that delighted everybody. No, not everybody. Down near the front sat a man who scowled and glowered at the stage. It was Sam Hooker, and he was there to make trouble. He was handling something which Gallup could not see. Ephraim paused and winked at the ruffian in a most tantalizing manner. The audience was waiting for the appearance of the star. The whole town had heard of the manner in which Frank had treated the terror of the place, and everybody seemed anxious for a look at the boyish actor who had dared face the ruffian. Granville Garland, as _Carius Dubad_, came on and carried things with a high hand, everything leading up to an effective enter for Merriwell. _Dubad_ was terrorizing _Grass_ when the moment came for Merry to make his appearance. As he entered there was a great burst of applause and a voice from the gallery cried: “That’s him! That’s Frank Merriwell hisself, and he’s a lollypalooser!”