ing. I wish the Doctor could see her. Should you dare ask?"

"Yes--" She was on the stairs.

Nelson Randolph saw her coming and put out his hand. But he
dropped hers suddenly, as his fingers touched it.

The sparkles of amusement were still in her eyes when she told her
errand.

Dr. Temple looked at his watch.

"Time enough?" inquired the president.

"Plenty."

Mr. Randolph approached the superintendent who was busying herself
at her desk.

In a moment he returned. "Mrs. Nobbs will go up with you," he said.

Juanita Sterling did not wait; she hastened upstairs to insure Mrs.
Albright's safe exit from the corner room.

The door was left partly open as Mrs. Nobbs and the physician
entered, and the two in the opposite apartment moved out of range.

The low voices of doctor and patient did not carry beyond the
corridor; but at a step Miss Sterling bent forward.

Dr. Temple was taking an instrument from his bag.

"Stethoscope," she whispered.

For several minutes no sound came from the sick-room. The
listeners breathed anxiously.

"Good as anybody's!" The tone was emphatic.

Miss Sterling caught Mrs. Albright's hand in a rapturous squeeze.

"Do you mean--no heart disease?" Miss Twining's soft voice was
shrilled with incredulous joy.

They could not catch the reply; but they smiled to each other in
delight.

Shortly Mrs. Nobbs and the Doctor went downstairs, leaving the door
free.

The others hurried across.

Miss Twining was tearfully excited. "Oh! did you hear? He says
my heart is all right, and in the morning I can go down to
breakfast! He'll insure my living to be a hundred years old--as if
I ever would!" She laughed quiveringly. "Those pink tablets I'm
to take after meals, and the brown ones if I should feel bad--I
never shall again! I believe it is two hours apart--you see! He
says it is just a little nervous breakdown--There isn't any anodyne
in them! Oh, I'm so glad you called him!"

CHAPTER XXXV

A NEW WIRE

Early the next morning Juanita Sterling was awakened by a heavy
thud. Where was it? It came again. She sprang out of bed, threw a
robe around her, and ran over to the window.

Some distance below appeared a grinning face. A man was coming up
a ladder.

"Don't be scared, ma'am! I'm only going to put on the loop. Isn't
this the room where the 'phone's to be?"

"Why--I don't know," she hesitated.

"It's to go in Miss Sterling's room."

"Who ordered