you can.
Cal'late she's waitin' at the kitchen door with a rollin' pin, by this
time."

"I will send the word, Mr. Cahoon," replied Miss Colton. "And--don't you
think you could go home now, Mr. Paine? I know how exhausted you must
be, after last night."

"No home for me," I answered, with assumed cheerfulness. "Admirals of
Finance are expected to stick by the ship. I will lie down here on the
couch and Phineas can call me if I am needed. Don't worry, Miss Colton.
Go to your father and forget us altogether, if you can. If--if I should
be needed for--for any other cause, please speak."

She looked at me in silence for a moment. Then she came toward me and
held out her hand. "I shall not forget, whatever else I may do," she
said, brokenly. "And I will speak if I need you, my friend."

She turned hastily and went to the door.

"I will send word to your people as well as Mr. Cahoon's," she added.
"Try and sleep, if you can. Good night."

The door closed behind her. Sleep! I was not likely to sleep. A man who
has lighted the fuse of the powder magazine beneath him does not sleep
much.

CHAPTER XXII

And yet sleep I did, for a little while, just before morning broke. I
had spent the night pacing the floor and talking to Phineas, who
was wide awake and full of stories and jokes, to which I paid little
attention. Miss Colton did not come to the library again. From the rooms
above I heard occasional sobs and exclamations in Mrs. Colton's voice.
Once Doctor Quimby peeped in. He looked anxious and weary.

"Hello, Ros!" he hailed, "I heard you were here. This is a high old
night, isn't it!"

"How is he?" I asked.

"About the same. No worse; in fact, he's better than he was a while ago.
But he's not out of the woods yet, though I'm pretty hopeful, for the
old boy has a husky constitution--considering the chances he's taken
with it all his life. It's his wife that bothers me. She's worse than
one of the plagues of Egypt. I've given her some sleeping powders now;
they'll keep her quiet for a spell, I hope."

"And Miss Colton--how is she?"

"She! She's as calm and sensible and helpful as a trained nurse. By the
Almighty, she is a wonder, that girl! Well, I must get back on my job.
Don't have a millionaire patient every day in the week."

At three o'clock came a message from Davis. He had not been able
to secure a single share. Did his instructions to buy still hold? I
answered that they did and he replied that h