rned outrage that he should
have fallen. Who was that man with his back to the bed?

The man turned. "All right, are you? That's good!" His pulse was felt
with professional fingers, but in the doctor's voice was frank
interest. "You were pretty nearly frozen, man. It's well she saw you."

"Where is she?" Van Landing sat up. "Where are my clothes? I must get
up."

"I guess not." The doctor laughed, but his tone was as decisive as his
act. Van Landing was pushed back on the pillow and the covering pulled
up. "Do you mean Miss Barbour?"

"Yes. Where is Miss Barbour?"

The doctor wrote something on a slip of paper. "Down-stairs, waiting
to hear how you are. I'll go down and tell her. I'll see you in the
morning."

"Where am I? Whose house is this?"

"Your house at present." The doctor laughed again. "It's Mother
McNeil's house, but all who need it use it, and you needed it, all
right. You struck your head on the bottom step of the porch three
doors from here. Had it been an inch nearer the temple--Pretty bad
knock-out, as it was, but you'll be all right to-morrow. If you wake
up in a couple of hours take another one of these"--a pill was
obediently swallowed--"but you're to see no one until I see you again.
No talking."

"Sorry, but I must see Miss Barbour." In Van Landing's voice was sharp
fear. "Christmas isn't over yet? I haven't missed it, have I? Are you
sure she's in this house?"

"Sure. She's getting ready for to-morrow. To-morrow will be the
busiest day in the year. It's Christmas eve."

Van Landing slipped down in the bed and his face went deep in the
pillows. Reaction was on. A horrible fear that he was going to cry,
going to do some abominably childish thing, made him stuff the
covering in his mouth and press his feet hard against the foot of the
bed. He would _not_ be cheated out of Christmas! He had believed he
hated it, thought he wanted to be dead during it, and now if it were
over and nothing done--Presently he spoke.

"Will you ask Miss Barbour if I may speak to her in the
morning--before she goes out? My name is Van Landing--Stephen Van
Landing. I was a friend of hers once."

"One now." The doctor's voice was dryly emphatic. "Lucky she
recognized you. Rather startled her, finding an old friend so
unexpectedly." Over his spectacles his kind, shrewd eyes looked down
on the man in the bed. "I'll see her. Miss Barbour is an exceptional
woman, but she's a woman, which means when she knows you a