ctor thinks?" queried the little physician.

Dr. Surtaine shook his head. "I don't know. But I'm sure of one thing.
There's three of them ought to be gotten out at once. The third-floor
woman, and that brother and sister in the basement."

"And the German family at the top?"

Dr. Surtaine tapped his chest significantly. "Sure to be plenty of that
in this kind of hole. Nothing to do but let 'em die." He did not mention
that he had left a twenty-dollar bill and a word of cheer with the
gasping consumptive and his wife. Outside of the line of business Dr.
Surtaine's charities were silent. "How many of the _other_ cases have
you had here?"

"Eleven. Seven deaths. Four I take away."

"And what is your diagnosis, Doctor?" inquired the old quack
professionally of the younger ignoramus.

Again De Vito shrugged. "For public, malignant malaria. How you call it?
Pernicious. For me, I do' know. Maybe--" he leaned forward and spoke a
low word.

"Meningitis?" repeated the other. "Possibly. I've never seen much of
the infectious kind. What are you giving for it?"

"Certina, mostly."

Dr. Surtaine looked at him sharply, but the Italian's face was innocent
of any sardonic expression.

"As well that as anything," muttered its proprietor. "By the way, you
might get testimonials from any of 'em that get well. Can you find
O'Farrell?"

"Yes, sir."

"Tell him I want to see him at my office at two o'clock."

"Ver' good. What do you think it is, Doctor?"

Dr. Surtaine waved a profound hand. "Very obscure. Demands
consideration. But get those cases out of the city. There's no occasion
to risk the Board of Health seeing them."

At the corner Dr. Surtaine again met Miss Elliot and stopped her. "My
dear young lady, ought you to be risking your safety in such places as
these?"

"No one ever interferes. My badge protects me."

"But there's so much sickness."

"That is what brings me," she smiled.

"It might be contagious. In fact, I have reason to believe that there
is--er--measles in this block."

"I've had it, thank you. May I give you a lift in my car?"

"No, thank you. But I think you should consult your uncle before coming
here again."

"The entire Surtaine family seems set upon barring me from the
Rookeries. I wonder why."

With which parting shot she left him. Going home, he bathed and changed
into his customary garb of smooth black, to which his rotund placidity
of bearing imparted an indescribably silky finis