r, he
said:

"Sir--I shall not allow you to--to interfere----"

Tod, thoroughly exasperated, looked as though he would rather enjoy a
personal encounter with the physician.

"You won't allow--you--you----"

He leaped forward, but Cooley restrained him. Jimmy pulled Dr. Zacharie
back.

"Don't use any force, doctor."

"Please don't--please don't!" cried Tod sarcastically.

"He's an amateur champion athlete," whispered Jimmy into the doctor's
ear, "and I don't want you to get hurt."

"He is a ruffian!" retorted Dr. Zacharie angrily.

Leaving them, he joined the Examiner and Professor Bodley, who were
talking earnestly in a group by themselves.

"Do you know, young man," said Mr. Cooley severely, "that this is
contempt of court?"

"If you're the court, it is!"

Shrugging his shoulders disdainfully, the lawyer joined the doctors at
the table. After a quick, anxious glance in their direction, Tod turned
to Mrs. Parkes. Pointing to Paula's door, he said in a whisper:

"Can you get to Miss Marsh without going through that door?"

"Yes, through my room," she replied, in the same tone.

Unobserved by the others, Tod quickly scribbled a few lines on a piece
of paper and handed it to her.

"Give her this note. Tell her to---- No--never mind-- I don't want them
to see her. Don't ask any questions, but do just as I tell you. She
will understand----"

The landlady hesitated. She stood in considerable awe of Mr. Cooley's
wrath, and was not quite sure that Tod's request would receive his
sanction. The young man pushed her toward the door.

"Go quick! You're wasting time."

"All right, sir, I'll go."

Profiting by Mr. Cooley's back being turned, she slipped out of the
room. No one noticed her departure. All were talking at the same time.
The lawyer, conversing in a low tone with Jimmy, was impatient to bring
matters to a head. Turning to the commission he demanded:

"Well, gentlemen, what is your decision?"

"I have expressed my opinion," said Dr. Zacharie calmly.

"Yes," said the examiner hesitatingly. "What do you think, Professor?"

"I'd like to study the case a little more," answered Dr. Bodley. "It has
a great many points of interest." Ticking off with his fingers, he went
on: "A self-evident delusion--a possible--and sporadic indications of
general derangement."

"But there's no absolute evidence of derangement," objected the
examiner.

"You can never tell what may develop," insisted Professor Bod