steered me safely thus far."

"That being the case," said Dr. Arnold, briskly, "I will resume command
at once, and order every single one of you from the room, except you,
Dr. Vincent, if you have time to remain and administer an anodyne, and
you, young man, must go directly back to bed."

Mr. Hastings promptly opened a side door and invited Dr. Armitage to a
few moments' private conversation, and Theodore departed, jubilant over
the turn affairs had taken, and fully determined that Dr. Vincent should
be _his_ family physician.

CHAPTER XXV.

STEPS UPWARD.

"Can you take another boarder, grandma?"

This was the question with which Theodore startled the dear old lady,
while she and Winny still lingered with him at the breakfast table. Jim
had eaten in haste, and hurried away to his daily-increasing business.
But Theodore had seemed lost in thought, and for some little time had
occupied himself with trying to balance his spoon on the edge of his
cup, instead of eating his breakfast. At last he let the spoon pitch
into the cup with a decisive click, and asked the aforesaid question.
Grandma McPherson, looking a little older, it is true, than on the
blessed day in which "Tode Mall" first sought her out, but still having
the look of a wonderfully well preserved old lady, in an immaculate cap
frill, a trifle finer than in the days of yore, and a neat black dress,
presided still at the head of her table. She dropped her knife, at
Theodore's question, and gave vent to her old-time exclamation: "Deary
me, what notion has the dear boy got now?"

"He has an Inebriate Asylum in view, mother, and wants to engage you for
physician, and your daughter for matron."

This was Winny's grave explanation. Theodore did not even smile. She had
unwittingly touched too near the subject of his thoughts.

"Don't tease the boy, Winny dear," said the little gentle mother; then
she turned her kind, interested eyes on him, and waited for his
explanation.

"The fact is, I want to get Pliny away from home," he said, anxiously.
"You have no idea of the temptations that constantly beset him there. I
don't think it is possible for him to sit down to his father's table at
any time without being beset by what the poor fellow calls his imps."

"What a world it is, to be sure," sighed Grandma McPherson, "when a
boy's worst enemy is his own father. Well, deary, I'm ready to help you
fight the old serpent to the very last, and so I am sur