HOKACE TAKES A STAND 109 



"My God!" cried the sick man, as he saw that 

 Frazer was in earnest. ' * Don 't say that ! I thought 

 I was doing all right, but I'll work harder yet. I'll 

 do superhumanly I Just try me once more!" 



Frazer did not relish the situation at all. He was 

 used to handling men who were the reverse of diffi- 

 cult to discharge. More often than not they antici- 

 pated such a possibility by judicious resignation. 



"I'll tell you what I'll do," he finally agreed, " I'll 

 ask Conway and Wallace if they'll stand for another 

 week or s.o of your work, and if they want to take a 

 chance, all right." 



Horace threatened to become effusive and Frazer 

 hastily withdrew to consult with the others. The 

 baseline party, after some discussion, agreed to the 

 probationary arrangement upon one condition. 

 Wallace stated this proposition when he said : 



"I'll guarantee to keep Wetherby in good shape if 

 he'll throw away his medicines and eat sensibly. If 

 he won't agree to that I don't want him around at 

 all." 



"That's not a bad idea," Conway chimed in. 

 "There's really nothing the matter with Horace but 

 indigestion. If he's willing to diet and work, I'm 

 willing, for my part, to stand him a while longer." 



Of course Horace protested loudly when the 

 scheme was proposed to him, but finally yielded to 

 necessity. He cast away his pills and powders, 

 gloomily prophesying disease and death as a result. 

 He promised to restrict himself in the matter of 



