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

rveyed his patient, now dressed and downstairs upon a pillared r

ou me

the drive will be sitting still in front of houses, anyhow

murmured Jorda

o bring his car to a short standstill, so that some delighted friend might grasp King's hand and tell him how good it seemed to see him out. With one and all the young man was very blithe, though he let the

to belong to the class who possess brains. I wish it were a larger class. Every day I find som

of those, too,"

al such cases which didn't recover. I have one little woman on my list who would have been well long ago if she hadn't had so many loving friends to impress her with the idea that her case was desperate.

he strong profile beside him. "Besides, you may do more good than you know. Anybody who

ar stood in heavy shade, and he was very comfortable. He took a letter from his pocket as he sat, a letter which looked

ch a pleasant visit with your mother, in your absence, that we felt rewarded for our call, and it was good to know that you could be out, yet of

h the worst of the siege; they surely have helped me. But now-our ways part. Sometime I may give you a hail from somewhere-when I am lonely and longing to know how you get on. And sometime I may be back at my old home. But wherever I am I shall never forget you, Jordan

Lin

n the other side of that hedge the chair had paused, where Sally Wentworth, his friend of long standing, was serving tea to a little group of young people, all intimates and all delighted to have the invalid once more in their midst. Under the group of great copper beeches which made of that corner of the Wentworth lawn a su

se, and that he would be bitterly disappointed not to be summoned. She had not mentioned to him the fact of the call at all until next day-when Anne Linton had been gone a full two hours upon her train. Then, when he had called up Mrs. Burns, in a fever of haste

seen clearly his interest in the stranger, unintroduced and unvouched for, taken in by kind people in an emergency, and though showing unquestionable marks of breeding, none the less a stranger.

her for her action-or lack of action. Once let him get up on his feet, his own master once m

d his friend and patient closely as he approached. "W

break loose if you don't." King spoke with a smothere

e question was straightforward, matter-of-fact

young man admitted. "

Well, if you stand this drive pretty well to-day you ought to come on fast.

verlastingly tha

road. I'll open up and give you a taste of what poor Henley felt the first time his c

not complaining. You

just what I say-to blow off a lot of steam. Hurt you or not, I'm

t his forehead, while his eyes watched the way as intently as if he had been driving himself, though his body hardly tensed, so complete was his confidence in the steady hands on the wheel. Faster and faster flew the car, until the speed indicator touched a mark seldom passed by King himself a

s obliged to begin slowing down. When the car was ag

y a lot of distemper. If you'll just do it again going bac

r a convalescent, but I'm inclined to think it's the dose you need, just the same. I expect, Jord, that the first time y

and anything, so

t damaged. It's had a good deal of r

e for a minute,

ou're a

to guess that a flame applied to a bundle of kindling will cause a fire.

ile on t

owder under the kindling you could ha

's no

t there might

. "Do you think I

t some distance-for an

there's any harm done it's to myself, and I can stand that. I'm not conceited e

ion with some amusement. "Do you con

King's strong young jaw t

not a sane girl who liked you well enough before yo

Women want men

pple. Stop usi

ster jacket for at least a year." King ev

r the rest of my days, no matter what man's job I kept on tackling? Besides,

of himself. "I'm glad to hear that, I'm sure. As f

n you ever were, and that's saying something. And the back's going to be a perfectly good back; give it time. As for-if you don't mind my saying it-that invalid's diversion, I don't suppose it's hurt you any. What I'm concerned for is the hurt it may have done som

ew a deep brea

u let her go away without making sure of keeping

ook. "That wasn't my fau

much of luck.

promise you. But I

es

e her any harm. Heaven knows I w

here was one-and a thoroughbred, though she may be as poor as a church mouse. No, I should never have

se te

ne of your numerous letters, notes, and even calling cards which had been sent with flowers. She also took a halftone snapshot of you out at the Coldtown dam, cut f

I suppose," murmured K

uch things from men she doesn't care for-particularly if she has started on a trip and is travelling light. Of course she may have fooled us all and be the

g weary, and sat very quietly in his seat during the Doctor's absences, experiencing, as he had done many times of late, a sense of intense contempt for himself because of his own physical weakness. In all his sturdy life he had never known what it w

as he returned to the car for the e

all r

you are. But we'll go home nevertheless. Th

rable travelling luggage, slowed down as it neared, and a liveried chauffeur held up a detaining hand. Burns stopped to answer a series of questions as to the best route toward a neighbouring city. There were matters of road mending and detours to

the big car. That it was a rich man's car, and that its occupants were those who naturally belonged in it, there was no question. From the owner himself, an aristocrat who looked the part, as not all aristo

ught sight of a profile next the open window and close by him. He stared at it, his heart suddenly standing still. Who was this girl with the bronze-red h

two entirely different girls. But this girl-was she not that one who had come to visit him in

ly the same wonderful eyes which he could now never forget-looked into his without a sign of recognition, and her colour-the colour of radiantly blooming youth-did not change perceptibly under his gaze. And after that one glance, in which she seemed to survey him closely, after th

e road. He was not conscious that the other young people in the car also regarded him with eyes of interest, and if he had he would not have realized just why. His handsome, alert face, its outlines

ront seat spoke to her, as he now did, plainly heard by King. Though all he said was some laughing, more or less witty thing about this being the nineteenth time, by actual count since breakfast, that a question of roads and routes had arisen, he spoke as to an equal in social status

rt-arresting scrutiny looked at him once again. Her straight gaze, out of such eyes as he had never seen but on those two occasions, met his without flinching-a long, steady, level look, which lasted until, under Burns's impatient hand, the smaller car got under motion and began to move. Even then, though she had to turn her head a little, she let him hold her gaze-as, of course, he