l, of all th--what's to happen to my business?"

"Why, you can call it a vacation. And you can pretend to get well
after Christmas; or you can have the doctor say it wasn't yellow fever
after all."

"But I stay in bed for several days, eh?"

"Oh, you can move round all you want, just so 's't you don't go
outdoors, and keep away from the windows."

Mr. Budlong's admiration was reverting to its normal state. He growled:

"You women would be an awful joke, if you were only a little funnier.
If you're so keen on this quarantine business you quarantine yourself.
You can have yellow fever, or scarlet, or green or any color you
like--robin's egg blue fever for all I care."

"But, my darling, I can't be having those things! You know I don't
believe in them this year, since I became a--oh, it wouldn't do at all
for Me. But You could have it because You believe in diseases."

"You bet I do, and I believe you've got softening of the brain." He
paced the floor in an effort to keep up with his temper. Eventually he
stopped short. He remembered that his son had failed to help the
family out in its distress. He said:

"Let Ulie have something."

XI

GANG AGLEY AGAIN

Mrs. Budlong felt a certain superstitious uneasiness, but was finally
won over, and Ulie was unanimously elected the scapegoat--or in more
modern form, the goat.

Ulie was in bed at the time sleeping like an innocent cherub and
smiling in his sleep. He was dreaming of a great invention: he would
set a figure-4 trap near his fireplace and snare Santa Claus by the
foot. Then from a safe ambush under the bed, he would assail the old
gentleman with his nigger-shooter till he laid him low, whereupon he
could rifle the entire pack at his leisure, and select what he
wanted. Ulie had not been attending Sabbath School in vain. The
lesson of the week concerned David and Goliath.

Prom such dreams as these Ulie woke the next morning to be told that
he need not leave his bed. He had scarlet fever and must keep close
under his cover.

"Scarlet nothin'!" was Ulie's reply. "I gotter go to a meetin' of
the Youth's Helpin' Hand Socirety this afternoon and I'll be darned
if I stay in any dog-on bed."

Mr. Budlong finally persuaded him--Ulie wasn't dressed yet and it
hurts worse on the bare hide. Then Mr. Budlong hurried down town to
bribe a doctor and borrow a red placard of the board of health. He
was just rounding the corner on the way home when