l went to her
room, for she felt very tired. It was not long before she was asleep.

She was awakened by Joe, half dressed.

"Amy is sick!" he said sharply. "Go in and help her, will you? I'll
try to get a doctor!"

On Amy's bed, a little later, Ethel saw a face so changed from the one
of a few hours before, that she felt her heart jump into her throat.
Amy's face was ugly and queer, distorted by frequent spasms of pain.
But worse was the terror in her eyes.

"Ethel, I think I'm dying!" she cried. "Something I ate--it poisoned
me!" There was a violent catch in her breath.

"Amy! Why, you poor little darling!" Ethel held her sister tight, asked
quick anxious questions and did things to relieve her, but with little
or no success. It seemed hours till Joe came back. With him was a
doctor, who made an examination and then took Joe into the hall. Ethel
followed anxiously. She heard the doctor questioning Joe, and she heard
him say:

"I'm afraid it's ptomaine.

"What does _that_ mean?" Joe fiercely inquired. But before Ethel could
hear the reply she was called back into the bedroom, where on her bed
with both hands clenched Amy was saying:

"I can't bear this! Make him give me something--quick!"

The rest of the night was a blur and a haze, of which Joe was the
centre--Joe half crazed and impatient, making impossible demands.

"You can't get a nurse in a minute, my friend, at five A. M.," the
doctor cried. "I'm doing my best, if you'll give me a chance!"

The fight went on. The nurse arrived, and turning to Ethel the doctor
said, "Get him out of this." And she took Joe into the living-room. But
there with a sudden curse and a groan he began to walk the floor.

"This doctor--what do we know of him? He was all I could find! We
haven't been to a doctor in years! . . . Ah--that's it!" And he went
to the telephone, where in a few moments she heard him saying tensely,
"Bill, old man, I'm in trouble." And she thought, "It's his partner."

"What have you done?" she asked him.

"Got Bill Nourse on the 'phone. He's bringing another doctor."

"But Joe! You should have asked this one first!"

"Should I?" was his distracted reply.

The second physician soon arrived, and was as surprised and annoyed as
the first one when he found how he had been summoned. In a moment with
angry apologies he was backing out of the door. But Joe caught his arm.

"You two and your etiquette be damned! Go in and look at that woman!"
he cr