for the past two nights,
sir, and I am tired out. Mr. Colton wishes to see you at once, sir. He
wishes you to come over immediately."

I was surprised now. "MR. Colton wishes it," I repeated. "You mean Miss
Colton, don't you, Johnson."

"No, sir. It is Mr. Colton this time, sir. Miss Colton is out in the
motor, sir."

"But Mr. Colton is too ill to see me, or anyone else."

"No, sir, he isn't. He's very much better. He's quite himself, sir,
really. And he is very anxious to see you. On a matter of business, he
says."

I hesitated. I had expected this, though not so soon. He wanted to ask
questions concerning my crazy dip into his financial affairs, doubtless.
Well, I should have to see him some time or other, and it might as well
be now.

I called to Dorinda, who was in the kitchen, and bade her tell Mother,
if she inquired for me, that I had gone out, but would be back soon.
Then Johnson and I walked briskly along the bluff path. We entered the
big house.

"Mr. Colton is in his room, sir," explained the butler. "You are to see
him there. This way, sir."

But before we reached the foot of the stairs Doctor Quimby came out of
the library. He and I shook hands. The doctor was a happy man.

"Well!" he exclaimed, "what's the matter with the one-horse, country-jay
doctor now, hey! If there is any one of the Boston specialists at a
hundred a visit who can yank a man out of a serious sickness and put him
on his feet quicker than I can, why trot him along, that's all! I want
to see him! I've been throwing bouquets at myself for the last ten
hours. Ho! ho! Say, Ros, you'll think my head is swelled pretty bad,
won't you! Ho! ho!"

I asked how the patient was getting on.

"Fine! Tip-top! The only trouble is that he ought to keep perfectly
quiet and not do a thing or think of a thing, except getting his
strength back, for the next week. But he hadn't been conscious more than
a couple of hours before he was asking questions about business and so
on. He and his daughter had a long confab this morning and after that he
was neither to bind or tie. He must see you, that's all there was to
it. Say, Ros, what did you and Phin Cahoon and the Colton girl do
yesterday?"

"Oh, we put through one of Mr. Colton's little trades for him, that's
all."

"That's all, hey! Well, whatever 'twas, he and I owe you a vote of
thanks. He began to get better the minute he heard it. He's feeling so
chipper that, if it wasn't that I swore h