the messenger with a coin, which Sally thought outrageously large, and
a muttered worried word or two.

"Bad news?" she asked.

"In a way," he said quickly. "When's the next train for San Rafael,
Miss Sally? I've got to be there to-night--right away! Do we have to
stand here? Thank you. There's a case Field and I have been watching;
he says that there's got to be an operation at eight--" His voice
trailed off into troubled silence, and he drew out his watch. "Eight!"
he muttered. "It's on seven now!"

"Oh, and you have to operate--horrible for you!" said Sally, taking the
car skilfully toward the railroad station as she spoke. "But I don't
see how you CAN! You've missed the six-thirty train, and there's not
another until after nine. But you can wire Dr. Field that you will be
there the first thing in the morning."

The doctor paid no attention.

"The livery stable is closed, I suppose?" he asked.

"Oh, long ago!"

He ruminated frowningly. Suddenly his face cleared.

"Funny how one thinks of the right solution last!" he said in relief.
"How long would it take you to run me up there? Forty minutes?"

"I don't see how I could," said Sally, flushing. "I can take the car
home, though, and ask Ferd to do it. But that woman's at the hotel,
isn't she? I couldn't go up there and sit outside, with every one I
knew coming out and wondering why I brought you instead of Ferd! Elsie
wouldn't like it. You must see--"

"It would take us fifteen minutes at least to go up and get Ferd,"
objected the doctor, seriously; "and he's not much better than I am at
running it, anyway!"

"Well, I'm sorry," said Sally, shortly, "but I simply couldn't do it.
Dr. Field should have given you more notice. It would look simply
absurd for me to go tearing over these country roads at night--Elsie
would go mad wondering where I was--"

They were in the village now. Troubled and stubborn, Sally stopped the
car, and looked mutinously at her companion. The doctor's rosy face was
flushed under his flaming hair, and in his very blue eyes was a look
that struck her with an almost panicky sensation of surprise. Sally had
never seen any man regard her with an expression of distaste before,
but the doctor's look was actually inimical.

"I feared that you would be the sort of woman to fail one utterly, like
this," he said quietly. "I've often wondered--I've often said to
myself, 'COULD she ever, under any circumstances, throw off that pretty
baby w