“Done.”

Then Frank Merriwell moved a little nearer.

The fellow called Ned walked up to the girl and chuckled her under the chin, saying:

“Ah, there, my little daisy! You’ll make a prima donna some day. Give us a kiss, and I’ll give you a quarter.”

The girl shrank away with a little cry of alarm, reaching out in a vague way toward her brother.

In an instant the latter was aroused. He uttered a cry of anger.

“Go ’way!” he exclaimed, excitedly. “She’s my sister! How dare you insult her?”

“Oh, don’t get gay!” said the youth. “I’m not insulting her. I made her an offer.”

“Go ’way, or I’ll strike you with my crutch!”

“You wouldn’t hurt anything. I’ve got a bet on this, and I must kiss her or lose. Come, now, here’s half a dollar. That should be an object.”