"

"That's different. I'll take the thing away from him the first thing
he knows. I'm tired of his browbeating. Isn't it time for those
papers?"

"Not quite."

"Have they stopped printing them? Are they holding back just to worry
me now that they've got me down? Where's Henry?"

"He has just gone out to wait for the carrier-boy. He's coming now, I
think."

Henry came in with the morning papers. "What do they say?" Witherspoon
eagerly asked. He flounced up, and drawing the covers about him, sat
on the edge of the bed.

"I'll see," Henry answered.

"But be quick about it. Great goodness, I can't wait all day."

"There's so much that I can't tell it in a breath."

"But can't you give me the gist of it? Call yourself a newspaper man
and can't get at the gist of a thing."

"Be patient a moment and I will read to you."

During more than an hour Witherspoon sat, listening; and when the last
paper had been disposed of, he said: "Why, that isn't so bad. They
don't mix me up in it after all. What was that? Brooks seems to he
wavering and may make a confession? But what will he say? That's the
question. What will he say?"

"How can he say anything to hurt you?" Mrs. Wither spoon asked.

"He can't if he sticks to the truth. But will he? He may want to ruin
the Colossus. I will not go near him. They may hang him and let him
rot. I will not go near him. The truth is, I have been afraid of him.
The best of us have cause to fear the man we have placed too much
confidence in. Caroline, I'll get up."

"Not now, father. The doctor said you must not get up to-day."

"But does he suppose I'm going to lie here and let the Colossus run
wild? Got nobody to help me; nobody."

"I will go down this morning and see that everything starts off all
right," said Henry.

"You will? What do you know about it? You could have known all about
it, but what do you know now?"

"I should think that the heads of the departments understand their
business; and I hope that I can at least represent you for a short
time."

"For a short time? Oh, yes, a short time suits you exactly. Ellen
could do that, and I'd send her if she were at home." The girl was at
Lake Geneva. "Think you can go down and say, 'Wish you would open this
door if you please'? Think you can do that?"

The mother put up her hands as though she would protect her son
against the merchant's feelingless reproach. For a time Henry sat
looking hard in Witherspoon's blood-shot