rry is to go to the private
wing."

In a few words the nurse gathered Dorothy's meaning.

Then she told the matron, speaking through the transmitter, to hold the
applicant.

"Would you like to come with me?" she asked Dorothy, as she prepared to
interview the prospective patient. "Miss Pumfret will be here for some
time yet."

Down the broad marble steps, that seemed to exude everything antiseptic
and sterilized, Dorothy hurried along after the head nurse. Into a large
hall, then across this into a small waiting-room they passed.

"The patient is only ill from neglect and nervous exhaustion," explained
the nurse, "or I would not invite you down."

A second white-capped and white-robed attendant opened the door. Dorothy
stepped in first. A woman sat on a leather chair in the far corner of the
room.

"She is very weak," explained the second nurse to the first, "and I really
was afraid to let her go."

The woman raised her head.

"Miss Dearing!" exclaimed Dorothy, too surprised to suppress her
astonishment, "Why, I am so--glad I have found you!"

The woman tried to open her lips, but a sudden movement of her head showed
that she had fainted.

"And you know her?" asked the nurses, quickly restoring the woman to
consciousness with simple restoratives.

"Slightly," replied Dorothy. "I will wait to see how she gets along."

From the scene in the waiting-room Dorothy hurried back to the side of
Captain Mayberry. She wanted to ask Miss Pumfret about the bed.

"Oh, here you are!" exclaimed the little woman pleasantly. "I was just
telling Nick what a girl you are. Perhaps you can tell us how to go about
getting him into the private ward. He liked it first-rate here," she
hurried to explain, "but there's no sense in keeping this bed from some
one who may need it."

Dorothy touched the button at the door to call an attendant. It was the
head nurse who answered.

"We can have this bed," stammered Dorothy, scarcely able to speak through
her excitement. "Miss Pumfret wishes Captain Mayberry removed to the
private wing."

"That will do nicely," answered the nurse, smiling. "Your friend has been
taken into the observation ward. She will remain there until her case is
diagnosed. It was providential that you spoke when you did, or she might
have fainted in the street if we had turned her away, and we are not
allowed to take patients who apply as she did, unless they are vouched
for. You see, it was well you happened