upward to the vacant seat. "The car is always so full at this
hour, and I was longing for the feeling of the wind against my
face"

"It's cool for late August, and you'll get a breeze on the
road home that will refresh you. You haven't touched water or
milk in this plague-stricken district, I hope?"

"No, indeed. Martha warned me a dozen times before I left.
How are things? Any better?"

"No new cases in twenty-four hours, and the old ones well in
hand. I'm getting home earlier to-day than I've done for a
month, and hope to have a few hours off duty. I was planning
what to do with them as I came upon you."

"I should think you could do nothing better with them than to
go home and sleep," she advised, looking up at his face with a
critical, friendly survey of the signs of weariness written
plainly there. "You are worn out, and that means something
when one says it of so strong a man as you."

"I could sleep a week, but I'm not sure that a few hours would
more than aggravate my need. Besides, I shouldn't be at home
an hour before I should be called out again. No, my plans
were forming themselves differently, and now that I've met you
they're taking definite shape. I want - well - suppose I
don't tell you! Would you trust me to take you off on a
rest-seeking expedition without explaining what I mean to do?"