A short time later, Dunton came in. Frank called him aside.
“I beg your pardon, Mr. Dunton,” he said, “but there is a matter I wish to speak about.”
“Oh, it’s all right,” grinned Douglas. “I knew you didn’t want to catch on there, old man. Elsie Bellwood or Inza Burrage is your style. This girl——”
“How did you know I mean to speak of the girl?”
“Oh, that wasn’t so hard to guess! She’s all broken up over you, but I think she can be induced to forget you. She is a little beauty, only she’s rather light-headed and thinks she’d like to be an actress.”
“Foolish child!” said Merry, scowling. “She needs somebody to look after her closely.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t mind taking the job of looking after her.”
“In what way, Dunton? How did you meet the girl?”
“Oh, she was walking around outside the theater, and I simply walked up and spoke to her.”
“You never saw her before?”