ch jerked feebly
under the touch.

The old man went to the door and called to the foreman.

"Here!" he said. "Run and tell my chauffeur to bring my car over here.
Tell him to drive right up over the sidewalk and across the lot. Tell
him to hurry!"

So, it happened, the great J. A. Lamb a second time brought his former
clerk home, stricken and almost inanimate.

CHAPTER XXIV

About five o'clock that afternoon, the old gentleman came back to
Adams's house; and when Alice opened the door, he nodded, walked
into the "living-room" without speaking; then stood frowning as if he
hesitated to decide some perplexing question.

"Well, how is he now?" he asked, finally.

"The doctor was here again a little while ago; he thinks papa's coming
through it. He's pretty sure he will."

"Something like the way it was last spring?"

"Yes."

"Not a bit of sense to it!" Lamb said, gruffly. "When he was getting
well the other time the doctor told me it wasn't a regular stroke, so to
speak--this 'cerebral effusion' thing. Said there wasn't any particular
reason for your father to expect he'd ever have another attack, if he'd
take a little care of himself. Said he could consider himself well as
anybody else long as he did that."

"Yes. But he didn't do it!"

Lamb nodded, sighed aloud, and crossed the room to a chair. "I
guess not," he said, as he sat down. "Bustin' his health up over his
glue-works, I expect."

"Yes."

"I guess so; I guess so." Then he looked up at her with a glimmer of
anxiety in his eyes. "Has he came to yet?"

"Yes. He's talked a little. His mind's clear; he spoke to mama and me
and to Miss Perry." Alice laughed sadly. "We were lucky enough to get
her back, but papa didn't seem to think it was lucky. When he recognized
her he said, 'Oh, my goodness, 'tisn't YOU, is it!'"

"Well, that's a good sign, if he's getting a little cross. Did he--did
he happen to say anything--for instance, about me?"

This question, awkwardly delivered, had the effect of removing the
girl's pallor; rosy tints came quickly upon her cheeks. "He--yes, he
did," she said. "Naturally, he's troubled about--about----" She stopped.

"About your brother, maybe?"

"Yes, about making up the----"

"Here, now," Lamb said, uncomfortably, as she stopped again. "Listen,
young lady; let's don't talk about that just yet. I want to ask you: you
understand all about this glue business, I expect, don't you?"

"I'm not sure. I only know--