ddressing her as 'Little Anne' all the time."

"Starved?" King seemed to have paused at this significant word.

"Oh, we'll soon fill her out again. She's really not half so thin as
she might be under the old-style treatment. It strikes me you have a
good deal of interest in my patients, Jord. Shall I describe the rest of
them for you?"

Burns looked mischievous, but King did not seem at all disturbed.

"Naturally I am interested in a girl you made me bring to the hospital
myself. And at present--well--a fellow feeling, you know. I see how it
is myself now. I didn't then."

"True enough. Well, I'll bring you daily bulletins from Miss Anne. And
when she's strong enough I'll break the news to her of your proximity.
Doubtless your respective nurses will spend their time carrying flowers
back and forth from one of you to the other."

"More than likely," King admitted. "Anything to fill in the time. I'm
sorry I can't take her out in my car when she's ready. I've been
thinking, Doctor--Red," he went on hastily, "that there's got to be some
way for Aleck to drive that car in the future. I'm going to work out a
scheme while I lie here."

"Work out anything. I'll prophesy right now that as soon as you get
fairly comfortable you'll think out more stuff while you're lying on
your back than you ever did in a given period of time before. It won't
be lost time at all; it'll be time gained. And when you do get back on
your legs--no, don't ask me when that'll be, I can't tell nor any other
fellow--but when you do get back you'll make things fly as they never
did before--and that's going some."

"You _are_ a great bluffer, but I admit that I like the sound of it,"
was King's parting speech as he watched Burns depart.

On account of this latest interview he was able to bear up the better
under the immediately following visit of his mother, an
aristocratic-looking, sweet-faced but sad-eyed lady, who could not yet
be reconciled to that which had happened to her son, and who visited him
twice daily to bring hampers of fruit, food, and flowers, in quantity
sufficient to sustain half the patients in a near-by ward. She
invariably shed a few quiet tears over him which she tried vainly to
conceal, addressed him in a mournful tone, and in spite of his efforts
to cheer her managed to leave behind her after each visit an atmosphere
of depression which it took him some time and strength to overcome.

"Poor mother, she can't help it," phil