ence unfinished, while
Chester waited. Chester felt it would be worth waiting for--that which
Red Pepper might say next. When it came it surprised him--it even gave
him a strange thrill coming from Red Pepper.

"I've put my case into the only competent hands," said Burns slowly and
quite simply. "I've promised my Maker I'll never insult His name again."

CHAPTER II. IN WHICH HE CREATES A CIRCUS

"Doctor Burns--"

"Yes, Miss Mathewson."

"The long-distance telephone, please."

Burns excused himself to the last patient of the evening series, and
shut himself in with the long-distance. When he came out he was looking
at his watch. From its face he turned to that of his office nurse--the
one hardly less businesslike in expression than the other.

"Miss Mathewson, my aunt telephones that my father and mother are both
sick, each anxious to distraction about the other, she about them both,
and under the weather herself. If you and I can catch the ten-fifteen
to-night we can be there by two, and by leaving there at four we can be
back here in time for the morning's operations. If they need you I'll
leave you there for a day or two--by your leave. We'll take the Green
Imp into the city--the ten-fifteen doesn't stop here. Then it'll be at
the hospital when we want it in the morning. You've twenty minutes to
get ready."

"Very well, Doctor Burns."

The office bell rang. Burns fled toward the inner office. Miss Mathewson
discovered the guest of the Chesters on the doorstep--all in white, with
a face which usually stimulated interest wherever it was seen.

"May I see Doctor Burns just a minute--for Mr. Chester?" The caller
took her cue cleverly from Miss Mathewson's face, which at the moment
expressed schedules and engagements thick as blackberries in August.
Burns, just closing the inner door, caught Chester's name. He pulled
off his white office coat, slid into his gray tweed one, and opened the
door.

"What can I do for Mr. Chester--in three minutes?" he inquired, coming
forward. Miss Mathewson, aware of the shortness of time, vanished.

"Give me something for his headache, please," replied the young person
in white promptly. Schedules and engagements were in R. P. Burns's eyes
also; they looked at her without appearing to see her at all. To this
she was not accustomed and it displeased her.

"Was it too severe for him to come himself?"

"Much too severe. He has gone to bed with it."

"Mrs. Chester clos