ay of hers, and forget that this world was made just for flirting
and dressing and being admired?' By George, I see you can't! I see you
can't! Well! Now, whom can I get to take me up there within the hour?"

He appeared to ponder. Sally sat as if stupefied.

"Don't resent what I say when I'm upset," said the doctor, absently.
"You can't help your limitations, I can't help mine. I see a young
woman--she's just lost a little boy, and she's all her husband has
left--I see her dying because we're too late. You see a few
empty-headed women saying that Sally Reade actually went driving alone,
without her dinner, for three hours, with a man she hardly knew. I am
not blaming you. You have never pretended to be anything but what you
are. I blame myself for hoping--thinking--but, by George, you'd be an
utter dead weight on a man if it was ever up to you to face an
epidemic, or run a risk, or do one-twentieth of the things that those
very ancestors of yours, that you're so proud of, used to do!"

Sally set her teeth. She leaned from the car to summon a small girl
loitering on the road.

"You're one of the White children, aren't you?" said she to the child.
"I want you to go up to Mrs. Ferdie Potter's house, and tell Mrs.
Potter that her sister won't be home for several hours, and that I'll
explain later. Now," said Sally, turning superbly to the doctor, "pull
your hat down tight. We're going FAST!"

They were three miles farther on their way before he saw that her
little chin was quivering, and great tears were running down her small
face. Time was precious, but for a few memorable moments they stopped
the car again.

Miss Sally and Dr. Bates returned to the sleepy and excited Ferdies' at
one o'clock that night. The light that never was on land or sea
glittered in Sally's wonderful eyes; the doctor was white, shaken, and
radiant. Sally flew to her sister's arms.

"We waited to see--and she came out of it--and she has a fair fighting
chance!" said Sally, joyously; and the look she gave her doctor made
Elsie's heart rise with a bound.

"Runaways," said Elsie, "come in and eat! I never knew a serious
operation to have such a cheering effect on any one before!"

"It all went so well," said Sally, contentedly, over chicken and ginger
ale. "But, Elsie! Such fun!" she burst out, her dimples suddenly again
in view. "I am disgraced forever! After we had done everything to make
the Bevis crowd think we were eloping, what did we d