"No miracle," replied the other modestly. "Merely sense."

That afternoon the Crosby twins telephoned to know whether they might
call, and the nurse brought the query upstairs. "If they're amusing,"
said the doctor, "let 'em come."

Allison replied that the twins had been highly amusing--until they ran
"The Yellow Peril" over his left hand. "Poor little devils," he mused;
"they've got something on their minds."

"Mighty lucky for you that it wasn't a macadamised boulevard instead of
a sandy country road," observed the doctor. "The softness underneath has
given us a doubt to work on."

"How so?"

"It's easier, to crush anything on a hard surface than it is on a
pillow, isn't it?"

"Of course--I hadn't thought of that. If there had been more sand--"

"I look to you to furnish that," returned the other with a quick twist
of meaning. "You've got plenty of sand, if you have half a chance to
show it."

"How long--when do you think you'll know?" Allison asked, half afraid of
the answer.

"If I knew, I'd be glad to tell you, but I don't. I've found out that
it's easier to say 'I don't know' straight out in plain English than it