from often
needed reproofs. It was never easy to scold Shirley.

Doctor Hugh Willis, sharpening his pencil so painstakingly, knew all
this and more. To his natural endowment of keen-eyed penetration had
been recently added the illuminating experience of a year as sole head
of the household--a year in which the little mother had been absent in
a sanitarium recovering her shattered health and he had been
responsible for the welfare of his sisters.

Not the least interesting figure of that group--Doctor Hugh.
Dark-haired, dark-eyed and tall, his keen, intelligent face could be as
expressive as Rosemary's. His chin was firm and his mouth could be
grim and smiling, by turns. His speaking voice was rather remarkable
in the range of its modulations and his manner was incisive as one used
to commanding obedience. His patients said "Doctor" had a way with him.

"Shall I cut the cake, or put it on whole?" inquired someone blandly on
the other side of the closed door.

"There's Winnie," said Mrs. Willis, lifting her head and smiling.
"Open the door, Shirley."

Five pairs of eyes turned affectionately to the tall, thin woman who
stepped into the room as Shirley obeyed. This was Winnie without whom
the Willis household would have been lost indeed since for twenty-eight
years she had solved every domestic difficulty for them, shrewdly and
capably. Loyalty and service were beautiful, concrete things in her
faithful loving eyes. Dear Winnie!

"About the cake," she said now, smoothing her immaculate apron and
glancing sharply at the circle of rather serious faces.

"Bother the cake," answered Doctor Hugh, secure in the knowledge that
whatever he said would receive Winnie's unqualified approval. "Have
you seen the plans for the new office, Winnie?"

"That I have not," she replied eagerly and Rosemary yielded her place
while Winnie stared over Mrs. Willis' shoulder at the mysterious white
lines and dots.

"You must be expecting a lot of sick folks, Hughie," she commented
after a moment's study.

"I'll give up the other office," the doctor explained, "and have all my
office hours here."

"When can Mr. Greggs start work, Hugh?" asked his mother, rescuing the
elastic bands from Shirley and moving the ink well back from the small,
exploring fingers.

"Next week, he hopes," Doctor Hugh answered. "There won't be any
digging to be done, because we are not going to extend the cellar; but
there will be mason work for the