blue,
with no trace of sparkle and set deep under heavy, level eyebrows. Her
mouth was the mouth of the obstinate, of the strong-willed, and her chin
was not small. But her hair was a veritable glory, a dull-red flame,
that bore back from her face in one great solid roll, dull red, like
copper or old bronze, thick, heavy, almost gorgeous in its sombre
radiance. Dull-red hair, dull-blue eyes, and a faint, dull glow forever
on her cheeks, Lloyd was a beautiful woman; much about her that was
regal, for she was very straight as well as very tall, and could look
down upon most women and upon not a few men.

Lloyd turned from the mirror, laying down the comb. She had yet to pack
her nurse's bag, or, since this was always ready, to make sure that none
of its equipment was lacking. She was very proud of this bag, as she had
caused it to be made after her own ideas and design. It was of black
russia leather and in the form of an ordinary valise, but set off with a
fine silver clasp bearing her name and the agency's address. She brought
it from the closet and ran over its contents, murmuring the while to
herself:

"Clinical thermometer--brandy--hypodermic syringe--vial of oxalic-acid
crystals--minim-glass--temperature charts; yes, yes, everything right."

While she was still speaking Miss Douglass, the fever nurse, knocked at
her door, and, finding it ajar, entered without further ceremony.

"Are you in, Miss Searight?" called Miss Douglass, looking about the
room, for Lloyd had returned to the closet and was busy washing the
minim-glass.

"Yes, yes," cried Lloyd, "I am. Sit down."

"Rownie told me you are next on call," said the other, dropping on
Lloyd's couch.

"So I am; I was very nearly caught, too. I ran over across the square
for five minutes, and while I was gone Miss Wakeley and Esther Thielman
were called. My name is at the top now."

"Esther got a typhoid case from Dr. Pitts. Do you know, Lloyd,
that's--let me see, that's four--seven--nine--that's ten typhoid cases
in the City that I can think of right now."

"It's everywhere; yes, I know," answered Lloyd, coming out of the room,
carefully drying the minim-glass.

"We are going to have trouble with it," continued the fever nurse;
"plenty of it before cool weather comes. It's almost epidemic."

Lloyd held the minim-glass against the light, scrutinising it with
narrowed lids.

"What did Esther say when she knew it was an infectious case?" she
asked. "Did