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"Worthsaving！"snortedNewmark，whirlinginhischair。
"Well；andtothebookkeeperwhoansweredhesaid："John，bringmethoseNewmarkandOrdepapers。"
Ordeheardtheclangofthesafedoor。InamomenttheclerkreturnedandhandedtoLambertalongmanillaenvelope。Lambertopenedthisquitedeliberately，spreaditscontentsonhisknee，andassumedapairofroundspectacles。
"Noteforseventy—fivethousanddollarswithinterestattenpercent。InterestpaidtoJanuarytenth。MortI’mashamedofyou！Whatkindofanexhibitionisthis？Goouttothekitchenandcookussomelunch！"
Hewatchedherdepartwithahumourousquirktohisthinlips。
"FoolIrish！"hesaidwithaScotchman’scontempt。"Imeanttoheadyouoffbeforeyougothome，butImissedyou。Comeinandsitdown，andI’lltellyouaboutit。"
"You’requitesureMrs。Ordeiswell？"insistedOrde。
"Absolutely。Neverbetter。Aswella。"Why，IthoughtIrememberedseeinghimupriveronlytheotherday。"
"No；hisdaughter。"
"Mina？"
"Yes。Lordknowswhereshegotit。Butgetitshedid。Mrs。Ordehappenedtobewithherwhenshewastakenwiththefeveranddistressingsymptomsthatbeginthedisease。Asaneighbourlydeedsheremainedwiththegirl。Ofcoursenoonecouldtellitwassmallpoxatthattime。Nextday，however，thecharacteristicrashappearedonthethighsandarmpits，andIdiagnosedthecase。"Dr。
McMullenlaughedalittlebitterly。"Lord，yououghttohaveseenthemrun！Servants，neighbours，friends——theyallskedaddled，andyoucoudn’thavedriventhembackwithasteam—roller！I
telegraphedtoReddingforanurse。UntilshecameMrs。Ordestayedby，likeabrick。Don’tknowwhatIshouldhavedonewithouther。
Therewasnobodytodoanythingatall。AssoonasthenursecameMrs。Ordegaveupherpost。Itellyou，"criedDoctorMcMullenwithasnearanapproachtoenthusiasmasheeverpermittedhimself，"there’sasensiblewoman！Noneofyourstory—booktwaddleaboutnursingthroughtheillness，andallthat。Whenherusefulnesswasended，sheknewenoughtostepasidegracefully。Therewasnotmuchdangerasfarasshewasconcerned。Ihadvaccinatedhermyself，youknow，lastyear。ButsheMIGHTtakethecontagionandshewantedtosparetheyoungster。Quiteright。SoIofferedherquarterswithusforacoupleofweeks。"
"Howlongagowasthis？"askedOrde，whohadlistenedwithawarmglowofpridetothedoctor’ssuccinctstatement。
"Sevendays。"
"HowisMinagettingon？"
"She’llgetwell。Itwasamildcase。Feverneverseriousaftertheeruptionappeared。IsupposeI’llhaveoldHeinzmanonmyhands，though。"
"Why；hashetakenit？"
"No；buthewill。EmotionaloldGermanfool。Rushedrightinwhenheheardhisdaughterwassick。Couldn’tkeephimout。Andhe’sbeenwithherornearhereversince。"
"Thenyouthinkhe’sinforit？"
"Suretohe，"repliedDr。McMullen。"Unlessamanhasbeenvaccinated，continuousexposuremeansinfectioninthegreatmajorityofcases。"
"Hardluck，"saidOrdethoughtfully。"I’mgoingtostepuptoyourhouseandseeMrs。Orde。"
"Youcantelephoneher，"saidthedoctor。"Andyoucanseeherifyouwantto。OnlyinthatcaseIshouldadviseyourremainingawayfromBobbyuntilweseehowthingsturnout。"
"Isee，"saidOrde。"Well，"heconcludedwithasigh，afteramoment’sthought，"IsupposeI’dbetterstaybytheship。"
HecalledupDr。McMullen’shouseonthetelephone。
"Oh，it’sgoodtohearyourvoiceagain，"criedCarroll，"evenifI
can’tseeyou！YoumustpromisemerightafterlunchtowalkuppastthehousesoIcanseeyou。I’llwaveatyoufromthewindow。"
"You’readear，bravegirl，andI’mproudofyou，"saidOrde。
"Nonsense！Therewasnodangeratall。I’dbeenvaccinatedrecently。AndsomebodyhadtotakecareofpoorMinauntilwecouldgethelp。How’sBobby？"
XLIV
AfterlunchOrdewentdowntowntohisofficewhereforsometimehesatidlylookingoverthemail。Aboutthreeo’clockNewmarkcamein。
"Hullo，Joe，"saidOrdewithaslightconstraint，"sorrytohearyou’vebeenundertheweather。Youdon’tlookverysicknow。"
"I’mbetter，"repliedNewmark，briefly；"thisismyfirstappearance。"
"Toobadyougotsickjustatthattime，"saidOrde；"weneededyou。"
"SoIhear。YoumayrestassuredI’dhavebeenthereifpossible。"
"Surething，"saidOrde，heartily，hisslightresentmentdissipating，asalways，inthepresenceofanother’spersonality。
"Well，wehadalivelytime，youbet，allright；andgotthroughaboutbytheskinofourteeth。"HearoseandwalkedovertoNewmark’sdesk，ontheedgeofwhichheperched。"It’scostusconsiderable；andit’sgoingtocostusalotmore，I’llhavetogetanextensiononthosenotes。"
"What’sthat？"askedNewmark，quickly。
Ordepickedupapaperknifeandturneditslowlybetweenhisfingers。
"Idon’tbelieveI’llbeabletomeetthosenotes。Somanythingshavehappened——"
"But，"brokeinNewmark，"thefirmcertainlycannotdoso。I’vebeenrelyingonyourassuranceell，keepyourhairon，"saidOrde，onwhomNewmark’smannerwasbeginningtohaveitseffect，asNewmarkintendeditshould。"YouhavemyBoomCompanystockassecurity。"
"PrettysecurityforthelossofatractliketheUpperPeninsulatimber！"
"Well，it’sthesecurityyouaskedfor，andsuggested，"saidOrde。
"Ithoughtyou’dsurelybeabletopayit，"retortedNewmark，nowsecureinthepositionhedesiredtotake，thatofputtingOrdeentirelyinthewrong。
"Well，Iexpectedtopayit；andI’llpayityet，"rejoinedOrde。
"Idon’tthinkHeinzmanwillstandinhisownlightratherthanrenewthenotes。"
Heseizedhishatanddeparted。Onceinthestreet，however，hisirritationpassed。Aswasthehabitoftheman，hebeganmoreclearlytoseeNewmark’sside，andsomoreemphaticallytoblamehimself。Afterall，whenhegotrightdowntotheessentials，hecouldnotbutacknowledgethatNewmark’sangerwasjustified。Forhisownprivateendshehadjeopardisedthefirm’sproperty。MoreofabusinessmanmighthavereflectedthatNewmark，asfinancialhead，shouldhaveprotectedthefirmagainstallcontingencies；
shouldhaveseentoitthatitmetHeinzman’snotes，insteadoftyingupitsresourcesinunnecessaryways。Orde’sowndelinquencybulkedtoolargeinhiseyestoadmithisperceptionofthis。BythetimehehadreachedHeinzman’soffice，thelastofhisirritationhadvanished。OnlyherealisedclearlynowthatitwouldhardlydotoaskNewmarkforarenewalofthepersonalnoteonwhichdependedhisretentionofhisBoomCompanystockunlesshecouldrenewtheHeinzmannotealso。ThisisprobablywhatNewmarkintended。
"Mr。Heinzman？"heaskedagedeedoncertainlandsdescribedherein。"
"That’sit，"saidOrde。
Lambertlookedupoverhisspectacles。
"Iwanttorenewthenoteforanotheryear，"Ordeexplained。
"Can’tdoit，"repliedLbrieflyofthefirstclerk。
"Mr。Heinzmanisathomeill，"repliedthebookkeeper。
"Already？"saidOrde。Hedrummedontheblackwalnutrailthoughtfully。Thenotescamedueintendays。"Howbadishe？
Theclerklookedupcuriously。"Can’tsay。Probablywon’tbebackforalongtime。It’ssmallpox，youknow。"
"True，"saidOrde。"Well，who’sincharge？"
"Mr。Lambert。You’llfindhimintheprivateoffice。"
Ordepassedthroughthegrillintotheinnerroom。
"Hullo，Lambert，"headdressedtheindividualseatedatHeinzman’sdesk。"Soyou’retheboss，eh？"
Lambertturned，showingaperfectlyroundface，ornamentedbyadotofanose，twodotsofeyessetratherclosetogether，andapursedupmouth。Hisskinwasverybrownandshiny，andwassofilledbythefleshbeneathastotaketheappearanceofhavingbeeninflated。
"Yes，I’mtheboss，"saidhenon—comm
