h. His discarded clothes
he put, with his own hands, into an old grip, sprinkled them plenteously
with a powerful disinfectant, and left orders that they be destroyed.
It was a phase of Dr. Surtaine's courage that he never took useless
risks, either with his own life, or (outside of business) with the lives
of others.

Having lunched, he went to his office where he found O'Farrell waiting.
The politician greeted him with a mixture of deference and familiarity.
At one stage of their acquaintance familiarity had predominated, when
having put through a petty but particularly rancid steal for the benefit
of the Certina business, O'Farrell had become inspired with effusiveness
to the extent of addressing his patron as "Doc." He never made that
particular error again. Yet, to the credit of Dr. Surtaine's tact and
knowledge of character be it said, O'Farrell was still the older man's
loyal though more humble friend, after the incident. To-day he was
plainly apprehensive.

"Them other cases the same thing?" he asked.

"Yes, O'Farrell."

"What is it?"

"That I can't tell you."

"You went in and saw 'em?"

Dr. Surtaine nodded.

"By God, I wouldn't do it," declared O'Farrell, shivering. "I wouldn't
go in there, not to collect the rent! It's catching, ain't it?"

"In all probability it is a contagious or zymotic disease."

The politician shook his head, much impressed, as it was intended he
should be.

"Cleaning-up time for you, I guess, O'Farrell," pursued the other.

"All right, if you say so. But I won't have any Board o' Health snitches
bossing it. They'd want to pull the whole row down."

"Exactly what ought to be done."

"What! And it averagin' better'n ten per cent," cried the agent in so
scandalized a tone that the Doctor could not but smile.

"How have you managed to keep them out, thus far?"

"Haven't. There's been a couple of inspectors around, but I stalled 'em
off. And we got the sick cases out right from under 'em."

"Dr. Merritt is a hard man to handle if he once gets started."

"He's got his hands full. The papers have been poundin' him because his
milk regulations have put up the price. Persecution of the dairymen,
they call it. Well, persecution of an honest property owner--with a
pull--won't look pretty for Mr. Health Officer if he don't find nothing
there. And the papers'll back me."

"Ellis of the 'Clarion' has his eye on the place."

"You can square that through your boy, can't you?"