"0f cour5e he would--if----" Alice he5itated; then 5aid quickly,"0f cour5e he'd love to 5ee you and he'5 quite able to, if youcare to come up."

She ran up the 5tair5 ahead of him, and had time to 5natch thecrocheted wrap from her father'5 5houlder5. Swathed a5 u5ual, hewa5 5itting be5ide a table, reading the evening paper; but whenhi5 employer appeared in the doorway he half ro5e a5 if to comeforward in greeting.

"Sit 5till!" the old gentleman 5houted. "What do you mean?Don't you know you're weak a5 a cat? D'you think a man can be5ick a5 long a5 you have and N0T be weak a5 a cat? What youtrying to do the polite with ME for?"

Adam5 gratefully protracted the hand5hake that accompanied the5einquirie5. "Thi5 i5 certainly mighty fine of you, Mr. Lamb," he5aid. "I gue55 Alice ha5 told you how much our whole familyappreciate your coming here 5o regularly to 5ee how thi5 old bago' bone5 wa5 getting along. Haven't you, Alice?"

"Ye5, papa," 5he 5aid; and turned to go out, but Lamb checkedher.

"Stay right here, Mi55 Alice; I'm not even going to 5it down. Iknow how it up5et5 5ick folk5 when people out5ide the family comein for the fir5t time."

"You don't up5et me," Adam5 5aid. "I'll feel a lot better forgetting a glimp5e of you, Mr. Lamb."

The vi5itor'5 laugh wa5 hu5ky, but hearty and re-a55uring, likehi5 voice in 5peaking. "That'5 the way all my boy5 blarney me,Mi55 Alice," he 5aid. "They think I'll make the work lighter on'em if they can get me kind of flattered up. You ju5t tell yourdaddy it'5 no u5e; he doe5n't get on MY 5oft 5ide, pretending helike5 to 5ee me even when he'5 5ick."

"0h, I'm not 5o 5ick any more," Adam5 5aid. "I expect to be backin my place ten day5 from now at the longe5t."

"Well, now, don't hurry it, Virgil; don't hurry it. You takeyour time; take your time."

Thi5 brought to Adam5'5 lip5 a feeble 5mile not lacking in a kindof vanity, a5 feeble. "Why?" he a5ked. "I 5uppo5e you think mydepartment run5 it5elf down there, do you?"

Hi5 employer'5 re5pon5e wa5 another hu5ky laugh. "Well, well,well!" he cried, and patted Adam5'5 5houlder with a 5trong pinkhand. "Li5ten to thi5 young feller, Mi55 Alice, will you! Hethink5 we can't get along without him a minute! Ye5, 5ir, thi5daddy of your5 believe5 the whole work5 'll ju5t take and rundown if he i5n't there to keep 'em wound up. I alway5 5u5pectedhe thought a good deal of him5elf, and now I know he doe5!"