Red Pepper's Patients / With an Account of Anne Linton's Case in Particular

rive to-day? Would you like to have Cyn

ok up his knife and fork again and ate valiantly a mouthful or two of the tempting food upon his plate, then he laid the implements dow

in the living room and lie down a little. It

im and began to pass her fingers lightly through his heavy hair, with the touch which usually soothed him into slumber if no interruptions came to summon him. But to-ni

to-night, Red?" Ellen asked presently, knowing t

d. There's no real reason why I should take this day's work harder than usual-

se it. Nobody could have

rly wanted to live, and he had pinned his whole faith to me. He wouldn't give

ry to forget now, Red, because of to-morrow. There wi

," he murmured. "Everything's gone w

once it takes firm hold. She left him presently and went to sit by the reading lamp, looking through current magazines in hope of finding some article sufficiently attractive to capture his interest, and di

cs, yet so congenial. The night outside was very cold, the wind blowing stormily in great gusts whi

age she sought, lifted her head, to see

re can it come from? Not outs

o? I've been thinkin

e wind, but-no

raperies and setting her face to the frosty pane

ed-com

caught sight of the figure in the

e poor beggar! We

r door, and Ellen heard his sho

in-com

tched tight in fingers purple with cold. She saw the stiff lips break into a frozen smile as her h

ling out there in the cold!" demanded Burns. "Do you think

yes gleamed out of hollow sockets, and his black hair, curling thickly, was rough with neglect. But he had snatched off his ragged soft hat even before he

u come from?

tranger sho

eak English,

st warm and feed him, anyhow. Will you have hi

hands were clean, even to the nails, and led the way unhesitatin

would," murmured Burns, as h

roast beef, two hurriedly warmed sweet potatoes which had been browned in syrup in the Southern style, crisp buttered rolls, and a pot of steaming coffee were on the large tray which Cynthia in

ttle gesture of gratitude toward both Burns and Ellen, pressing his hands over his heart and then extending them, the expression on his face touching in its starved restraint. The

eneficiary, his eyes apparently upon the fire. Ellen, from behind the boy, smiled at her husband, noting how completely his air of fatig

hed, and the youth rose to bow his thanks once more. This time there w

smiled and nodded again,

ns, smiling back. "It's a land of musici

the boy leaped for it, pressing it

r," Ellen exclaimed. "Can't you make him un

ity, for we do. If he's the musician he looks, by those eyes and that mouth, we'll be mor

ad thrown himself down on the couch again in a sitting posture, both arms stretched along the back. Then he made his graceful obeisance again, and drew the bow very

, but it sounded like a folk song of his own country, and he put into it all the poignant, peculiar melody of such a song. His tones wer

burst into the brilliant performance of a great masterpiece, playing with a spirit and dash which seemed to transform him. Often his lips parted to show his white teeth, often he swung his whole body into the rhythm of his music, until he seemed a very part o

more ardently than his wife, responded to the appeal. He no longer lounged among the pillows of the broad couch; he sat erect, his eyes intent, his lips relaxed, his cares forgot. He was a lover of music, as are many men of his profes

be older than he looks. How he loves it! He's forgotten that he doesn't

er observation for a day or two. It was at the service of any chance guest, and the chance guest was surely with them to-night. There was no place in the village to which such a vagrant as this might be sent, exc

yed on. More and more profoundly did his music move him, until it seemed as if he had

s and Chesters over. Then we'll have an excuse for paying the chap a good sum for

the thing. I'

k, to see the musician, his bow faltering, suddenly lower his violin and lean against his patron, who had leaped to

for days. The reaction is too much, of course. He's been playing on his nerve for th

administered, his arm under the ragged shoulders. Then he patted the wasted cheek

eyes, and his tone if not his words seemed to carry reassurance, for

d in his own and held it in his warm grasp, at which the whit

her things than food. Do you suppose anybody's held his hand like this since he left the o

ession of keen interest, not a sign of fatigue in his manner; the exhausted young foreigner in his ragged clothing lying on the luxurious couch, his pale face standing out like a fine cameo a

his fingers. "What he needs is rest and sleep, and plenty of both. Like the most of us he's kept up while he had

ady. I sent Cyn

o you? Well-we may as well be on

wing off his coat. B

night. Let me call Jim over

f he were twice as heavy he'd be no weight for me. Jim Macauley would howl at the idea

the eyes which slowly opened in half-stupefied alarm. "It's all right, little Hungary. We're going to pu

g his own two-year-old son. Arrived in the small, comfortable little room at th

as about to impose upon himself were one that irked him. "Get me hot water and soap

his wife, quite as if she underst

t, we'll not interrupt the good work. Put some b

sarray from the occasional thrustings of a soapy hand, and his face flushed and eager like a healthy boy's, Red Pepper Burns stood grinning down at his patient. Little Hungary lay in the clean white bed, his pale face shining

" he observ

I should sa

stairs. Not over eighteen, at the most, but fully forty in the experiences and hardships that have brought him here. Well, we'll go awa

rm of a big American stranger was saying to him. And when, in leaving him, Burns once more laid an exploring touch up

ut the fiddle where he can see it in the morning, will you, honey? Open the window pretty well: I've covered him thoroughly, and

e signs of his late occupation removed,

nap. He drew the winsome figure close within his arm, resting his red head against the dark one below it. "I don't seem to feel particularly tired, now," he observed. "Curious, isn't it? Fatigu

ne patient more," was Ellen's answer to this. "T

out such an enthusiast in my profession as that. I turn

ne if they couldn't ha

d up to, curse 'em as we may, at times. Len, how are we to get to know something about l

ere are Hunga

want him to take a twelve-mile ambulance ride in this weather. That touch of fever may mean simple exhaustion, and it may mean look out for pneumonia, after all the exposure he's had. I'd give something to know how it came into his crazy head to stand and fiddle outside a private house

of the past day. Next morning he was early at the little foreigner's bedside, to find him resting quiet

ay till he's fit?" B

are much interested, and betwee

I have to pay for a waiter to

e brought with him in the powerful roadster which he drove himself a dark-faced, pointed moustached countryman of little Hungary, who spoke

ich caused the thin face on the pillow to break into smiles of delight, as the eager lips answered in the same tongue. Que

alk to countree, find vork farm. Bad time. Seeck, cold, hungree. Fear he spoil hands f

that?" Burns

m Budapest. No poor museecians dere. Budapest great ceety

ion, for again the other responded with ardour, using his ha

ow no poor museeck. He named for Franz Liszt. He pla

s off our feet. Te

ughed Louis, "eef I te

Well, say he made us very happy with his wonder

ence of Franz's eyes and his joyous s

vork for you. No wagees till he plee

ell him not to worry. We'll find a job before we let him go. He

ore men nor places," he

came to stand in front of my

head, then nodded and laughed, with a rejoinder which brought a s

nd by window, make sign to heem to play.

r Burns. Whether he would be angry or amused was for the moment an even cha

e threatened. "A nice way out of his ow

s pocket, and the instruction to leave no stone unturned to find Franz work

on his feet. Careful search had discovered a temporary place for him in a small hotel orchestra, whose second violin was ill, and Burns agr

other accessories had been supplied by James Macauley, also Burns's neighbour and good friend next door upon the left and the husband of Martha Macauley, Ellen's sister. Even so soon the res

follower to your train, Red," whispered Winifre

ing his pleasure every time they came upon familiar sheets. The two had found common ground in their love of the most emotional of

lue suit transforms him. And wasn't it clever of Ellen to have him wear that soft white s

I'll wager it'll be something particularly telling, judging by the way they both

her shoulder," remarked James Macauley, who, hanging

al and energetic Martha Macauley, who had often avowed that sh

irs like these if it were not necessary for him to make a living at the practice of some more prosaic profession, "it's quite as much the interest of having such a stagey characte

vely as that," Chester replied. "But there's no doubt about the quality of his music. He was born, not made. And, by George, L

rament, anyway," s

om Martha to her sister, as he had often done before in wonderment at the contrast between them, he noted as usual how exquisitely Ellen was dressed, though quite as simply, in a way, as her practical sister. But in every line of her smoke-blue silken frock was the most subtle art, as Chester, w

Chester to himself. "Ellen has both, and Red's in luck. It was a great day for him when th

he knew of no spot in the town which possessed the subtle charm of this in which he sat. His wife, Winifred, was always trying to reproduce within their walls th

e true, for Winifred Chester was a peculiarly lovable young woman. He noted afresh to-night that beside

winged chair for which he was accustomed to steer upon entering this room, where he was nearly as much at home as within his

lazily, from the blue couch. "That's a good thing

a week I paid you the great

all

ny would never have been gathered, t

turned on him a sudd

at the thing came about." Macauley l

ar up under my window, on that howling night, was

e and only great and original M.D. upon earth, and as luck would have it he was almost at your door. I said that if he didn't find you in

scrutinized his guests in turn, and detected signs of mirth. Winifred Chester's pretty shoulder

sat nearest. "Tell me the truth

e got no peace until at le

ame and fiddled under your window you'd take him in and keep him over night. Somebody'd been saying things against you, down

State, and that you hadn't any heart. Some of them made this wager, and

hey were all accustomed to see it, but for an instant he made no

f you hadn't taken him in we would. But-O

ger business?" Burns inq

e. Who else would t

a seriou

urse i

n od

the crowd. And for a r

e!" he growled. "How dared you take such a chance on me? And

I haven't staked a red copper for a year. But that sort of talk I overheard was too mu

and walked over to where Franz stood, his eager eyes fixed upon his new and ad

the slender shoulder, "it came out all right that time, but don't you ever play unde