t me. You see my chest is rather
uncomfortable."

He glanced at the clock, leaned over and gulped down some medicine, then
placidly folding his hands, lay back:

"How's Kelly?"

"I haven't seen him to-day, John."

"Well, he ought to be here very soon. He can take you and Rita to
dinner."

"I'm so sorry you can't come."

"So am I."

Valerie laid a cool hand on his face; he seemed slightly feverish. Rita
came in at that moment, smiled at Valerie, and went straight to
Burleson's couch:

"Have you taken your medicine?"

"Certainly."

She glanced at the bottles. "Men are so horridly untruthful," she
remarked to Valerie; "and this great, lumbering six-footer hasn't the
sense of a baby--"

"I have, too!" roared John, indignantly; and Valerie laughed but Rita
scarcely smiled.

"He's always working in a puddle of wet clay and he's always having
colds and coughing, and there's always more or less fever," she said,
looking down at the huge young fellow. "I know that he ought to give up
his work and go away for a while--"

"Where?" demanded Burleson indignantly.

"Oh, somewhere--where there's plenty of--air. Like Arizona, and
Colorado."

"Do you think there's anything the matter with my lungs?" he roared.

"No!--you perfect idiot!" said Rita, seating herself; "and if you shout
that way at me again I'll go to dinner with Kelly and Valerie and leave
you here alone. I will not permit you to be uncivil, John. Please
remember it."

Neville arrived in excellent spirits, greeted everybody, and stood
beside Valerie, carelessly touching the tip of his fingers to hers where
they hung at her side.

"What's the matter with _you_, John? Rita, isn't he coming? I've a taxi
outside ruining me."

"John has a bad cold and doesn't care to go--"

"Yes, I do!" growled John.

"And he doesn't care to risk contracting pneumonia," continued Rita
icily, "and he isn't going, anyway. And if he behaves like a man instead
of an overgrown baby, I have promised to stay and dine with him here.
Otherwise I'll go with you."

"Sure. You'd better stay indoors, John. You ought to buck up and get rid
of that cold. It's been hanging on all winter."

Burleson rumbled and grumbled and shot a mutinous glance at Rita, who
paid it no attention.

"Order us a nice dinner at the Plaza, Kelly--if you don't mind," she
said cheerfully, going with them to the door. She added under her
breath: "I wish he'd see a doctor, but the idea enrages him. I