would not interfere too seriously with Mr. Stillinger's plans.
No diplomat could re quest a favour more courteously than R.
P. Burns, M.D. The reply was the one to be expected of
Stillinger, bachelor and amiable fellow, who was fond of
Chester and hoped it was nothing serious. Tell him to go
ahead with his vacation, Stillinger said, and not to worry
over office affairs.

"Now!" Burns wheeled round from the telephone. "Will you put
yourself in my hands?"

"Do you honestly think I'm such an abandoned case - already,"
began Chester unhappily, "that you have to - "

"Listen to me, Ches. I don't think you're an abandoned case -
that's nonsense - after five weeks. But I do think you're
well started on a road that it's ruin to travel. You began it
way back last winter by taking that headache stuff in double
the dose I gave you, without consulting me, every time you
felt a trifle below par. That's why I took it away from you.
You felt the loss of it, and you were an easy mark for
Gardner's dope. You've grown so dependent on that already
that you're going to have a fight to get along without it.
You can't fight and do office work, so I'm going to make the
most of my chance during this fortnight's vacation - if you'll
give me leave. If you won't - I think I'll knock you down and
get you where I want you that way."

He smiled - a smile with so much spirit and affection in it
that Chester's eyes filled, to his own astonishment, for up to