towards the office door. It
was their first approach to a quarrel.

But Anne flew after him and dragged him back.

"Now, Gilbert, you are not 'going off mad.' Sit down here and I'll
apologise bee-YEW-ti-fully, I shouldn't have said that. But--oh, if
you knew--"

Anne checked herself just in time. She had been on the very verge of
betraying Leslie's secret.

"Knew what a woman feels about it," she concluded lamely.

"I think I do know. I've looked at the matter from every point of
view--and I've been driven to the conclusion that it is my duty to tell
Leslie that I believe it is possible that Dick can be restored to
himself; there my responsibility ends. It will be for her to decide
what she will do."

"I don't think you've any right to put such a responsibility on her.
She has enough to bear. She is poor--how could she afford such an
operation?"

"That is for her to decide," persisted Gilbert stubbornly.

"You say you think that Dick can be cured. But are you SURE of it?"

"Certainly not. Nobody could be sure of such a thing. There may have
been lesions of the brain itself, the effect of which can never be
removed. But if, as I believe, his loss of memory and other faculties
is due merely to the pressure on the brain centers of certain depressed
areas of bone, then he can be cured."

"But it's only a possibility!" insisted Anne. "Now, suppose you tell
Leslie and she decides to have the operation. It will cost a great
deal. She will have to borrow the money, or sell her little property.
And suppose the operation is a failure and Dick remains the same.

"How will she be able to pay back the money she borrows, or make a
living for herself and that big helpless creature if she sells the
farm?"

"Oh, I know--I know. But it is my duty to tell her. I can't get away
from that conviction."

"Oh, I know the Blythe stubbornness," groaned Anne. "But don't do this
solely on your own responsibility. Consult Doctor Dave."

"I HAVE done so," said Gilbert reluctantly.

"And what did he say?"

"In brief--as you say--leave well enough alone. Apart from his
prejudice against new-fangled surgery, I'm afraid he looks at the case
from your point of view--don't do it, for Leslie's sake."

"There now," cried Anne triumphantly. "I do think, Gilbert, that you
ought to abide by the judgment of a man nearly eighty, who has seen a
great deal and saved scores of lives himself--surely his opinion ought
to wei