sked. "Do you mean the business
troubles, Uncle Zoeth?"

Zoeth seemed to waken from a sort of dream. "Business troubles?"
he repeated. "No, no; long, long afore that these troubles were,
Mary-'Gusta. Don't let's talk about 'em. I can't talk about 'em even
now--and I mustn't think. There are some troubles that--that--" He
caught his breath and his tone changed. "I called you an angel just now,
dearie," he went on. "Well, you was and you are. There are angels in
this world--but there's devils, too--there's devils, too. There; the
Lord forgive me! What am I talkin' about? We'll forget what's gone and
be thankful for what's here. Give your old uncle a kiss, Mary-'Gusta."

He was happy in Mary's society and happy in the steady improvement of
the business, but the girl and Captain Shadrach were a little worried
concerning his general health. For years he had not been a very strong
or active man, but now he looked paler and more frail than ever. He
walked to and from the store and house several times a day, but he
retired almost as soon as he entered the house at night and his appetite
was not good.

"His nerves ain't back where they'd ought to be," declared Shadrach. "He
was awful shook up when it looked as if Hamilton and Company was goin'
to founder. He didn't keep blowin' off steam about it the way I did--my
safety-valve's always open--but he kept it all inside his biler and it's
put his engine out of gear. He'll get along all right so long's it's
smooth sailin', but what I'm afraid of is a rock showin' up in the
channel unexpected. The doctor told me that Zoeth mustn't worry any more
and he mustn't work too hard. More'n all, he mustn't have any scares or
shocks or anything like that."

"We must try to see that he doesn't have any," said Mary.

"Sartin sure we must, but you can't always see those things in time to
head 'em off. Now take my own case. I had a shock this mornin'. 'Rastus
Young paid me a dollar on account."

"WHAT? 'Rastus Young PAID you?"

"Well, I don't know's he paid it, exactly. He borrowed the dollar of
one of those summer fellers over at Cahoon's boardin' house and he was
tellin' Ab Bacheldor about it at the corner by the post-office. Ab,
naturally, didn't believe any sane man would lend Rastus anything, so he
wanted proof. 'Rastus hauled the dollar out of his pocket to show, and I
who happened to be standin' behind 'em without their knowin' it reached
out and grabbed it."

"You did? Why, Uncle