About noon
So I buried my self in an arm-chair , picked up the morning papers , and tried to possess my soul in patience until the Colonel should again make his appearance with a full report of his mission . Twice during my long wait Fitz burst in , grabbed up some papers from his desk and bounded out again , firing some orders to his clerks as he disappeared through the door . He was too absorbed to more than nod to me , and he never once mentioned the Colonel 's name . About noon a customer in the outer office -- there were half a dozen of them watching the ticker -- handed an `` extra '' to the clerk , who brought it to me . Consolidated Smelting was up ten points ; somebody had got out an injunction , and two small concerns in Broad Street had struck their colors and sent word to the Exchange that they could not meet their contracts . Still no Colonel ! Had he failed to find Klutchem ; had he been thrown out of the office or had he refrained from again visiting Fitz until he had accomplished something definite for his relief ?