came out he was looking at his watch. From its face he turned
to that of his office nurse - the one hardly less businesslike
in expression than the other.

"Miss Mathewson, my aunt telephones that my father and mother
are both sick, each anxious to distraction about the other,
she about them both, and under the weather herself. If you
and I can catch the ten-fifteen to-night we can be there by
two, and by leaving there at four we can be back here in time
for the morning's operations. If they need you I'll leave you
there for a day or two - by your leave. We'll take the Green
Imp into the city - the ten-fifteen doesn't stop here. Then
it'll be at the hospital when we want it in the morning.
You've twenty minutes to get ready."

"Very well, Doctor Burns."

The office bell rang. Burns fled toward the inner office.
Miss Mathewson discovered the guest of the Chesters on the
doorstep - all in white, with a face which usually stimulated
interest wherever it was seen.

"May I see Doctor Burns just a minute - for Mr. Chester?" The
caller took her cue cleverly from Miss Mathewson's face, which
at the moment expressed schedules and engagements thick as
blackberries in August. Burns, just closing the inner door,
caught Chester's name. He pulled off his white office coat,
slid into his gray tweed one, and opened the door.

"What can I do for Mr. Chester - in three minutes?" he