When Frank discovered this attachment between the soubrette and the stage-manager he felt like advising Cassie to wait a while before she permitted herself to become very fond of Havener, but he quickly decided that such advice would be a waste of words, and kept still.
That Havener was favorably disposed toward Merriwell, Cassie felt sure, even though he had said little or nothing about the young man. Now, after seeing him give Merry the part that had been assigned to Lawrence, who was really one of the best actors in the troupe, and hearing him call down Dunton, she was certain Havener was aiming for one of two things. Either he had confidence in Merriwell, and wished to give him a chance to show up, or he believed Frank must make a wretched failure in attempting to play on such short notice, which would mean his “release” from the company.
Cassie had such confidence in Frank that she believed that Havener would fail if he was aiming to disgrace Frank.
She wished to encourage Merry, and that was why she had spoken to him as he was sitting on a canvas-covered property tree stump, industriously and hurriedly running over his lines in the first act.
“If you’re only eighteen, you’ve got plenty of time to study and add to your education, Cassie,” said Frank. “You have a way of learning your lines quickly when you take a part. You can read the right kind of books and memorize their contents.”
“I don’t know what kind of books to read.”
“I can tell you.”
“Oh, well, I’ll think it over. I don’t have much time, you know. Can’t do it after the show is over, for I’m dead tired by that time. Can’t do it forenoons, for I’m digging away on new parts all the time now.”
“But you can do it vacations.”
“Oh, I suppose I might. There, I’ve bothered you too much. Didn’t mean to when I spoke to you. Just wanted to tell you I’d bet anything you surprise ’em on the part to-night. Something makes me sure you will. You have lots of lines with me, and I know them lines as well as I do my own. If you get stuck, I’ll be able to give you a lift without the aid of the prompter. Keep your nerve; don’t get the shakes. That’s all.”