Mrs. Red Pepper

t the breakfast-table, "is supposed to change a man radically. The influence of a good and lovely woman can hardl

d, with interest. "Ellen and Red? Red is cha

e you happened to encounter him

ossibly have had any-misunderstanding? And i

remarkable woman. As near as I can make it out, Red is mad, fighting mad, clear through, with somebody or something, and he can no more disgui

see him? Hush

en he proceeded. He had not begun upon the present subject until the

him at the telephone in the private office. Couldn't help hearing him. He was givin

any more. He surely ha

andments than anybody I ever heard. When he came out he had that look of his-you know it of old-so that if I'd been a timid chap I'd have backed out. He gave

ht this morning. Ellen

in his old room burned all night,-and

louded. "But I'd never dare to ask her what the tr

get over it, if you give him time. Queer, what

sponse to her bright look, and kissed her as tenderly as usual, but it was an automatic tenderness, as she was quick to recognize. He replied monosyllabically to her observations concerning matters usually of interest to him, but he evidently had no words to spare, and after a

wife's voice

, without

rive into town with

ith her request, rather than affirmation as to his objecting to her company. She kept close watch over the movements of the Green Imp, susp

shly attractive hat. Ellen's smile, from under the shadowing brim, was as whole-heartedly sweet as if she were meeting the look of worshipful comradeship which usually fell upon her when she joined

she was ready to take her place the instant the car drew to a

more powerful and speedy than the Imp. Ellen found herself well blown about by the wind they made, though there was none stirring, and wished sh

announced: "Can't take you in till I've made this call," and stopped his engine wit

led by his manner. She looked in vain for his customary glance of leave-taking, and watched him stride a

he house. She recognized in the well-groomed figure which stepped out, case in hand, one of the city surgeons with whom her husband was often closely associated in his hospi

, and came across to the Imp, hat in

is a fortunate man. You don't mind the waiting? My wife thinks there is

t the smile under the close-clipped, iron-gray moustache was one which could be cynical more easily than it could be sympatheti

d, who devote their lives to the humble folk." He glanced toward the house. "I mustn't keep my colleague w

e knew, and had a large practice among folk the reverse of "humble." She had seen in his eyes that he liked to look at her, and knew that in the moment he had stood beside her he had lost no detail of her face. He had als

lf. "Yet he's evidently consulting with Red at this house, which doesn't seem exactly a

ing earnestly as they came, and at a point some yards away they ceased to advance, and stood still, evidently in tense discussion over the case just left. They spoke in the low tones customary with men o

ssive as to the play of his features, except that he smiled, from time to time,-a smile which bore out Ellen's previous feeling concerning its possibilities for cynicism rather than sympathy. His eyes, howeve

ucceeding ill at the task was painfully apparent. His colour was high-it nearly matched his hair; his eyes burned like consuming fires under their dark brows; his lips spoke fast and fiercely. He kept his voice do

nobody could influence or calm him, and in which he could or would not control himself. They invariably added that these hot exhibitions of high temper were frequently over as suddenly as they had appeared, and usually did nobody any harm w

, at unholy hours, you may know that there's murder in his heart-for the moment. Art Chester vows he's caught him there at midnight, and I don't doubt it in the least. But-a woodpile isn't always handy when a man is mad

en had answered, lightly. "Better a r

m. The action was pretty close to rudeness, for it left the elder man in the rear. Evidently, in spite of his irritation, Burns

other, with perfect courtesy. "We all kn

s of wrath in apposition, the "red" sort and the "white." And looking at Dr. Van Horn's face, it seemed to her th

aid, as he passed her. "You must be a restfu

the least being able to guess at the cause of the friction between the two men, of an intense antipathy to Dr. James Van Horn. And at the same moment she longed

ults of it than could be helped. She let Burns drop her at a corner near the shopping district without asking him to take her to the precise place she meant to v

pened for a week. Her arms were about his neck as she put the question, and he looked down into her face with again a slight softeni

case." It was the first time he had disclo

stopped with yo

-night, if I find things as they were two hours

in to the big couch, and let me make you comfortable, un

ministrations. But he threw himself upon the couch with a long sigh,

ot to know, of course, but the thing which makes you so miserable. It can't be

ght I'd kept in, before you." Burn

e I have seen that something was wearing you-keeping you on

own him before. The other is just-the devil disguised

, n

could kill somebody,-in other words, that foul fiend o

injure

t of an angel of light in that house-fools them all. I'm the ill-tempered incompetent, he's the forbearing wise man. The case is mi

pace the room. Speech, once unloosed, flowed

here's at least one chance in ten he'll get well without one. I'm usually keen enough to operate, but for once I don't dare risk it. Van Horn advises operation-unreservedly. And the deuce of it is that with every hour tha

e patient

mine. And if the patient dies in the end it's because I didn't operate when he advised it-or so he'll let them see he thinks. Not in

e liked to op

in life that the patient would never have left the table alive. Don't you see I've had to fight for my patient's very life,-or rather for his slim chance to live,-knowing all the while that I was probably digging my own grave. E

atient go

of two or three days yet, either way. How I'm going to get through them, with things going as they are;-meeting that

, de

her hands on his shoulders and l

tronger than you, and in no oth

if you know him. He's exa

it. And so he h

know that? But I'm r

saying of some wise man-'If you are right you have no need

shoulders, and looked down into his wife's

ct remains.-I have reason to be angry, and I am angry, and I

l way, with Dr. Van Horn, as you are, now that I know. But-I want you somehow to keep control of yourself. You

ha

, are

you know

saw outside the h

r. "Lord! If you mean that I ought to grin at

think you shouldn't allow yourself to

fe that would give me

ders. She turned aside, with a little droop of the head, as if she fel

I was all fine, warm heart and blarneying words. Well, I'm not. When a thing like thi

nge expression on her face. Before she had moved, however, the door burst ope

ve best in the world. Forget it, darling, and don't worry about me. I've been through this sort of thing times

pirit. "I don't want you a Job or a Moses, but a

t's a new one. According to your code

ngry but there's no reason in the world why you should

omed to a charming compliance in her, he could hardly realize that he was being brought to book in a manner at once so felicitous yet so firm. She gave him back his

should suppose you would have wanted them drowned out i

r control. You're fighting the harder for your patient's life becau

ar you use a phrase like that! But it's a true one, I admit it. I've let his Satanic Majesty have his own way with me, and bade him welcome, t

rejoinder he might have expected after his concessi

enty of wood in the cellar, you know, if you want fi

u think you wouldn't need one any more after you we

ned upon him. "Somebody's told

t put the energy into your blows. It was a splendid saf

d little wretch! Do you w

etter than running the Imp sixty miles an hour. That doesn'

o the laws of Nature. "Bless you, you've put him to rout for the moment at le

e adored her for the sweetness and sense which had kept her from takin

clear and his mind upon the table talk. When he went away, afterward, back to the scene of his irritation and anxiety, he bore with him a peculiar sense of havin

pstairs, if only for fear of disturbing her at that hour. But presently the cautious opening of her door

ing to do. No man could keep on with a case where the family were secretly following the consultant's directions, instead o

on the dim outlines of his

ey could have the full benefit of Van Horn's orders, and the nurses would be relieved of a mighty difficult situation. I suppose you don't know-few people do-that it's a bad breach of professional ethics for a cons

he lifted it to her lips. He drew a

taking leave of the patient, there was the dickens to pay. His pulse jumped and his temperature went up, and there was trouble for fair. He begged me not to leave him. From the start his

you had

't! Van Horn was in charge, and

you didn't stay. You couldn'

rn took himself out of it I could have no recognized place in the house. He could have invited me, in the emergency, to share responsibility equally with himself-but would he d

couldn't ask

I can tell you. You can't understand just what a humiliatio

he patient

unbearable one. Not one man in a thousand would consider i

ward. He had not known she would be so de

are so much about seeing those fire

fined one,-the position of the man who is big enough to take second place, because it is his dut

ak out again. The test is coming

and it,-I kn

said Red Pepper, with conviction, and they

d not let him go,-the patient who, every time his weary eyes lifted, during the long stretches of the night, wanted to rest them upon a halo of coppery red hair against the low-burning light. The sick m

ch he had often sunk when he came in at untimely hours, too weary to take another step toward bed. But now he passed it by and noiselessly cro

nd the bird-songs of the early risers outside, then threw hi

aided plaits hanging over her shoulders, her eyes clear and bright with the invigoration of the night's rest. As if she had

ing of waking hours, the whole strong body relaxed into an attitude of careless ease. Even as she looked, though she had made scarcely a breath of noise, his eyes un

two long plaits and wound them about her head. Then he sat up and

g there that would have made Van's hair curl. Everybody's hair curled but mine. Mine stood up straight. I waved my arms like a semaphore. I said 'Do this!' and they did it. I sent every one of Van's emergency orders to thunder a

e, like a veil; then he gently pa

boy," said he. "Can't