r. McMullen. "Unless a man has been vaccinated,
continuous exposure means infection in the great majority of cases."

"Hard luck," said Orde thoughtfully. "I'm going to step up to your house
and see Mrs. Orde."

"You can telephone her," said the doctor. "And you can see her if you
want to. Only in that case I should advise your remaining away from
Bobby until we see how things turn out."

"I see," said Orde. "Well," he concluded with a sigh, after a moment's
thought, "I suppose I'd better stay by the ship."

He called up Dr. McMullen's house on the telephone.

"Oh, it's good to hear your voice again," cried Carroll, "even if I
can't see you! You must promise me right after lunch to walk up past the
house so I can see you. I'll wave at you from the window."

"You're a dear, brave girl, and I'm proud of you," said Orde.

"Nonsense! There was no danger at all. I'd been vaccinated recently. And
somebody had to take care of poor Mina until we could get help. How's
Bobby?"

XLIV

After lunch Orde went downtown to his office where for some time he sat
idly looking over the mail. About three o'clock Newmark came in.

"Hullo, Joe," said Orde with a slight constraint, "sorry to hear you've
been under the weather. You don't look very sick now."

"I'm better," replied Newmark, briefly; "this is my first appearance."

"Too bad you got sick just at that time," said Orde; "we needed you."

"So I hear. You may rest assured I'd have been there if possible."

"Sure thing," said Orde, heartily, his slight resentment dissipating, as
always, in the presence of another's personality. "Well, we had a lively
time, you bet, all right; and got through about by the skin of our
teeth." He arose and walked over to Newmark's desk, on the edge of which
he perched. "It's cost us considerable; and it's going to cost us a lot
more, I'll have to get an extension on those notes."

"What's that?" asked Newmark, quickly.

Orde picked up a paper knife and turned it slowly between his fingers.

"I don't believe I'll be able to meet those notes. So many things have
happened--"

"But," broke in Newmark, "the firm certainly cannot do so. I've been
relying on your assurance that you would take them up personally. Our
resources are all tied up."

"Can't we raise anything more on the Northern Peninsula timber?" asked
Orde.

"You ought to know we can't," cried Newmark, with an appearance of
growing excitement. "The last seventy-five t