"You must be mistaken," said the former stage manager, now the business manager as well. "Merriwell is in Attleboro to-night."
"Not by a long shot!" cried the somewhat slangy little soubrette. "If he ain't out there in the second row middle I'll eat my hat!"
"Then something is wrong with him. But I can't believe you are right."
"Didn't you catch onto the hand I got on my enter?"
"Of course."
"He started it. He's got Dunnerwurst on one side of him and Gallup on the other, and the three of them tried to break things when I went on."
"Then it's sure something has happened to Merriwell. It's likely he's as badly off as the rest and wants to get in with us. We might find a chance for him, but we haven't any use for Gallup or Dunnerwurst now there is no band."
Lester Lawrence, the leading man of the company, had been standing near enough to hear these words, and now he broke in:
"I don't see that we have any chance for Merriwell," he said, quickly. "By sharp doubling we can play any piece in our repertory, and to take in Merriwell will add to the expense without proving a decided advantage. As we are working on the commonwealth plan now, I am against anything that will add a cent of expense. I shall vote against Merriwell."