Doctor Strong is prepared to answer for it at the Last Day."

Miss Phoebe laid down her knitting-needles; but before she could
reply, Doctor Strong himself came in, bringing the breeze with him.

"How do you do, Mrs. Weight?" he said, heartily. "How is Billy?
croupy again? Does he go out every day? Do you keep his window open
at night, and give him a cold bath every morning? Fresh air and
bathing are absolutely necessary, you know, with that tendency. Have
you taken off all that load of flannel?"

Mrs. Weight muttered something about supper-time, and fled before
the questioner. The young doctor turned to his hostess, with the
quick, merry smile he had. "I had to send her away!" he said.
"You are flushed, Miss Blyth, and Miss Vesta is tired. Yes, you are,
Miss Vesta; what is the use of denying it?"

He placed a cushion behind Miss Vesta, and she nestled against it
with a little comfortable sigh. She looked at the young doctor kindly,
and he returned the look with one of frank affection.

"Your mother must have had a sight of comfort with you," said
Miss Vesta. "You are a home boy, any one can see that."

"I know when I am well off!" said the young doctor.

Geoffrey Strong certainly was well off. In some singular way, which
no one professed wholly to understand, he had won the confidence of
both the "Blyth girls," who were usually considered the most
exclusive and "stand-offish" people in Elmerton. He made no secret