talk to him, and he would tease her and make her laugh, and laugh
himself. The doctor did not laugh very much in his own house; domestic
virtue does not necessarily add to the gayety of life. During the
afternoon Willy tried on three different neckties, and twice put
cologne on his handkerchief. Then appeared Mr. Pryor to say that Mrs.
Richie had one of her headaches! He was so sorry, but Mrs. King knew
what a bad headache was?

"Indeed I do," Martha said, "only too well. But _I_ can't give way to
them. That's what it is to be a doctor's wife; the patients get all
the prescriptions," Martha said; and William, out of the corner of
his eye, saw that she was smiling! Well, well; evidently Mrs. Richie's
defection did not trouble her; the doctor was glad of that. "But I
didn't bargain on entertaining the brother," he said to himself
crossly; and after the manner of husbands, he left the entertaining to
Martha.

Martha, however, did her duty. She thought Mr. Pryor a very agreeable
gentleman; "far more agreeable than his sister," she told William
afterwards. "I don't know why," said Martha, "but I sort of distrust
that woman. But the brother is all right; you can see that--and a very
intelligent man, too. We discussed a good many points, and I found we
agreed perfectly."

Mr. Pryor also had an opinion on that supper-table talk. He said to
himself grimly, that Nelly's bread and jam would have been better. But
probably bread and jam, followed by young Sam Wright, would have
seemed less desirable than Mrs. King's excellent supper.

It was about seven when the boy appeared at the Stuffed Animal House.