He missed the evenings which he had enjoyed so much, and the next consultation over the adventures of Pearson's "Uncle Jim" and his "Mary" seemed flat and uninteresting without criticism and advice.
The author himself noticed the difference.
"Rot!" he exclaimed, throwing the manuscript aside in disgust.

"It's rot, isn't it! If I can't turn out better stuff than that, I'd better quit.

And I thought it was pretty decent, too, until to-night." Captain Elisha shook his head.

"It don't seem quite so shipshape, somehow," he admitted, "but I guess likely it's 'cause my head's full of other things just now.

I'm puzzled 'most to death to know what to get for Caroline's birthday.