Was ever luck like mine?
I took care to be in bed before the fellows got home that evening, but as I lay awake I could hear their laughter down stairs, and it was not hard to guess what it was about.

Larkins came up to my room.
"You're a nice fellow, Batchelor," said he, laughing, "telling me it was smallpox! You gave me such a fright.

I told all the fellows, and at your office, and you should have seen how blue they all looked.

What a sell it will be when you turn up all serene." This was pleasant.
"You'd better not be too sure," I said, still clinging to my ailment.
"It may be it after all.

The doctor said I was to go to bed early to- night and keep quite quiet.