"Are you going to be satisfied to let me manage the company?"
"Well, I'm willing to let you try it, if the others are. I shall be mighty glad if you can do it, for that will take a load off of my shoulders. Just now I am business manager, stage manager and several other things. It's too much."
Merriwell and Havener came to an agreement without much trouble, but it was necessary to talk it over with some of the company for a long time before they were ready to accept the arrangement.
Lawrence fought against it. He tried to hold Dunton and Sargent with him. Sargent was the first to give in, and he influenced Dunton to follow his lead.
Then Lawrence was disgusted, and he showed it.
"All right," he cried. "Go ahead and do what you like, but count me out."
"You won't go with us?"
"No. Merriwell can get a new leading man. Perhaps he'll fill the place himself."
This was said in sarcasm, but Frank was not at all ruffled.