w, so that she could catch glimpses of her old customers, even if
she could not speak to them.

On this wintry day in the early January, it was Dr. Dodona, from town,
who tied his horse to a verandah post and rapped briskly at her door.

"It's a real pleasure to see ye, doctor," Nancy exclaimed, as she gave
him admittance. "Ye must be cold. I'll just give ye me best chair by
the fire, an' ye can smoke a pipe while ye're tellin' yer errand."

"You're very kind, Mistress McVeigh. People like yourself make a
doctor's work less arduous," the doctor answered, heartily.

"It's good of ye to say so, doctor, fer it's little demand fer service
ye get out o' me an' mine."

"I'm on my return from James Piper's, down the road. His two children
are ill with the cold, and I am afraid something more serious may be
expected. Miss Sophia has them well in hand, and I have left a course
of treatment, but I'm not at all satisfied."

"Did ye recommend goose grease and turpentine? The winter Jennie had a
bad throat I used them in plenty, an' it's what saved her," Nancy
remarked, sagaciously.

"Well, not exactly those remedies, but they are very good," the doctor
admitted, laughing. "Miss Sophia bade me tell you about the children,
as you were expecting her to call some day this week," he continued.

Nancy nodded her head understandingly. "An' what d'ye expect will
develop from their colds?"

"You needn't be frightened, Mistress McVeigh, as your children are all
grown up. The boy Willie has a very weak throat, and it was terribly
inflamed to-day. I am quite worried about it."

"It's bad news ye're bringing to-day, doctor, but niver expect trouble.
Maybe they'll change fer the better before mornin'. Ye'll have some
tea?" she asked suddenly.

"It's putting you to a lot of trouble," the doctor said, reluctantly,
but Nancy was gone before he had finished his sentence.

When the doctor was ready to depart, she asked, anxiously, "Ye'll let
me know how they are tomorrow?"

"Most assuredly," the doctor called from the verandah.

Two or three days followed, and each brought Dr. Dodona to Nancy's door
with a brief message as to the condition of his patients. His visits
were very short, however, but he remained longer at the Piper
household, and Nancy missed the smile from his face. She discussed the
trend of affairs with Katie Duncan, who was her only confidant now that
Will Devitt had gone out West because Nancy McVeigh's