But nobody knew that least of all Burns himself.
He only knew that he could not get on without her; that never a suture
that she had prepared made trouble for him after an operation: and that
none other of the hundred nice details upon which the astounding results
of modern surgery depend was likely to go wrong if it were she who was
responsible.

At five o'clock that afternoon the Green Inn came back. Arthur Chester
had just returned from the office and had thrown himself into a hammock
on the porch, for the September weather was like that of June. Catching
the throbbing purr of the Imp as the car swung in at the driveway
Chester jumped up. Burns flung out a triumphant arm; Miss Mathewson was
smiling.

"By George, the old boy's won out!" Chester said to himself, and hurried
down to meet the Imp. "All over but the shouting, Red?" he questioned
eagerly.

"All over." Burns's face was aflame.

"Pull up and tell me about it."

The car came to a standstill. "Nothing to tell. The curve I got on that
bit of steel did the work, around the corner and inside out. The fellows
said it wouldn't; stood around and croaked for an hour beforehand. Lord!
I'd have died myself before I'd have failed after that."

"Should have thought they'd have unsettled your nerve," declared
Chester, looking as if he would like personally to pitch into the entire
medical profession.

"Didn't. Just made me mad. I can do anything when I'm mad--if I can
keep my mouth shut." Burns laughed rather shamefacedly. "That's the one
advantage of a temper. I say, Ches, don't you want to go with me? There
are probably half a dozen calls waiting at the office. I'll run and
see."

He jumped out, seized his surgical handbags and hurried away. Miss
Mathewson descended more deliberately, Chester plying her with eager
questions as he assisted her. "How was it? Pretty big feather in his
cap, Miss Mathewson?"

"Indeed it was, Mr. Chester. Every one of the other city surgeons said
it couldn't be done without killing the patient. They all admitted that
if she survived the operation she would have every chance for recovery.
They were all there to see. I never knew them all there at once before."

"It would be ungenerous to imagine they wanted him to fail," chuckled
Chester, "but we're, all human. How did they take it when he succeeded?"

"They remembered they were gentlemen and scientists," declared Miss
Mathewson--"all but one or two who aren't worth mentioning. W