Mrs. Red Pepper

unk, a number of bulky parcels, and a full share of mud, drew to one side of the road

hat upon his heavy crop of coppery red hair-somewhere under the seat his cap was abandoned, as usual. His face was brown with tan-a st

f something very weak to keep lowering the top. We'll leave it up. There'll be one advantage." He

re going to do in about five minutes, I can take leave of my bri

e, leaving her head covered only by a close-fitting motoring bonnet of dark green, from within which her face, vivid with the colouring born of many days driving with and w

life for two weeks, and I'll never forget her. But she couldn't stand for the change of conditi

uppose the bridegroom will stay with he

glad I didn't realize it; it would have made me act queerer than I

rather as if he hesitated to say what was in his

ing-and sympathizing. "But you are glad you are on

l fortnight that I-well-I want to go to work again-work with all my might. I feel as if I could do the best work of my life. That

ike the first plunge into

sight of him, poor chap. But he won't be interesting, like that. He'll be a victim of chronic dyspepsia. Or worse-she'll be a woma

who are quite able to walk to your office, and ver

ng as I can't get them comfortably down in bed, where the nurse and I have the upper hand, they'll continue to carry out half of my directions-the half they approve, and neglect the other half-the really important half, and then come round and tell me I haven't helped them any-and why not? Oh, well-fa

s and dissolve into blue sky and sunshine. "I hope," said she, "to be able to make th

d it by letter. If I hadn't been so horribly busy, and had had the faintest notion of wh

to be such fun to work i

ried a doctor, Ellen-that's the whole story. And it's the knowledge of that fact that makes me realize that I may as well leave my bride at the fifty-mile-stone. It'll take my wife tha

y toward the mile-stone. Then he turned and looked steadily down in

N

hy

prefer a busy husband. And I shall enjoy getting those rooms in order, quite by myself. To tell the truth I'm no

Yet I thought I was pretty meek, that day. Well

a b

hway between two large cities, and on this April afternoon it was deserted by motorists. Only in th

's come over me, since we turned our faces this way, that not a thing has been done to make my shabby old place fit for yo

hers. But they grew light again as they read in he

nto your house, just as it is. Take me in-that's all I ask-and trust

sband, "so close and warm there's

a genius for that sort of thing. Wait and see. And meanwhile"-she smiled up into his near

er of the deep-hooded top, he had welcomed his wife with his heart of hearts upon his lips, and a few low-spok

ciously, his hand upon the throttle was giving the Imp more and more power, so that the car flew past the succeeding mile-stones at such short int

he city's outskirts. "But it would be precisely my luck to find something to detain

, Red," said Ellen. "

d that would break me up. I want to see you walk in at the door, and know that you belong

t of wind and considerable thunder and lightning, so that when they caught sight of the low-lying old brick house, well back from the

hooded and luxurious; two "buggies," of the village type, drawn by single horses standing dejectedly with drooping ears and ta

ejaculated. "She's let it out that we're coming. And Amy Mathewson-my office nurse-not due till to-morrow, to protect us! I

"Remember you've left the bride behin

ited the action to the word by turning in at the gateway of his next door neighbour.

d look more like home to you w

house that will be the living part for you is either empty or cluttered up with wedding presents. By all that's crazy, Ellen, I'm just waking up to the fact that there isn't any place to put

tuation which had only just struck him was complete. She knew precisely how busy he had been in the weeks preceding the wedding, and how thankfully he had accepted her suggestion that she come to his home just as it was, and plan for herself what disposal she would make of the empty r

led to the large, low-ceiled room which was Burns's own, leading in turn to his offices, and having onl

oom, by this window? Or will you accept Cynthia's hospitality in the dining-room? Or-maybe that's the best plan-will you just run over to Martha's?

m not going to be sent away! Go in and see your patients, and do

l sounds of the car's approach, so that neither the Macauleys on the one side, the Che

asn't expecting you yet for an hour. Mrs. Macauley and Mrs. Chester wasn't either. They was over here ten minu

ll see them and I will stay with you. I've so much to plan with you. What a plea

wn in the dining-room and I'll give you so

Burns, much relieved. "Look after

red, "if I'm to do it 'till he's free.' He won't be free

way into the

e in. So the table's all set, and I can hurry up dinner so's to have it as soon as the Doctor gets those folks fixed up-if there ain't a lot more by that time. Since Miss Mathewson went I've been answering the telephone, and

ink I'll use the time getting freshened up from my long drive-we've come a hundred and sixty

t to the Doctor's room-you wouldn't want to go

In at the long window she hurried her, out

e, so, it's kind o' hard to keep it from getting that queer smell, 'specially when he's always running i

nt here. Oh, what a bunch of daffodils on

d,-"the Doctor forgot to say anything about it, but I've fixed up this little room off his for Bobby. He used to have the lit

little room is so near. Bob won't be lonely, and I shal

rescued, a year before, from an impending orphan asylum, and now the happy ward of a guardianship as kind as an adoption. She had been some

dn't really think it of her that took so much notice of him before. She's a real lady, Mrs. Burns is-and

man come into his life, share his privacy,-he had so little privacy in his busy days and nights,-and occupy this room of his, this big, square, old-fashioned room with its open windows, the one spot which had

framed photograph of Burns's father and mother, taken sitting together on their vine-covered porch. One was a colour drawing of a scene in Edinburgh, showing a view of Princes Street and the Castle,-one which must have become familiar to him from a residence of some length during the period of his studies abroad. The third pictu

all the sound. She felt her invasion of his life more keenly than ever as she realized afresh how close to him her own life was to be lived. Marrying a village doctor, whose home contained also his place of business,

ed her shoulders as she brushed them out-slowly, because she was thinking so busily about it all, and had forgotten to make haste. Sudden

but associated with modern means for securing perfect cleanliness. He wore his white jacket

t hers gently forced it back to face the mirror. In

at reflected from my old glass