was anxious to find out as soon as possible whether his
surmise was correct about the sick man. If so, he had his mind all
made up what he would do, and there was no time to be lost.

Mrs. Bean was waiting at the door to receive them, and led the way at
once into the little sitting room which was warm and cosy.

"Where's that man?" the doctor asked as he threw off his coat. "You
might have waited until morning before sending for me. It's no joke to
come so far on a cold night like this."

"But I was afraid he would die, sir," Mrs. Bean replied. "He is a very
sick man. He's in there," and she pointed to a door which led from the
sitting room.

After warming himself for a few minutes before the stove, the doctor
entered the small bedroom closely followed by Jasper. A shaded lamp
with the wick turned down stood on a little table by the side of the
bed. Though the light was dim, it was enough for Jasper to recognise
the man lying upon the bed.

"You know who it is," he remarked in a low voice as he turned to the
doctor.

"Good heavens! it's Peter Sinclair!" was the astonished exclamation.
"What in thunder is he doing here?"

CHAPTER XVIII

THE WILD NOR'EASTER

Jasper did not remain long in the bedroom. There was nothing there
that he could do and he would be only in the way. He found Mrs. Bean
in the kitchen putting some wood in the stove.

"Do you know who that sick man is?" he asked.

"No, I have not the least idea," was the reply. "He is a stranger to
me, but that makes no difference. The Bible bids us to entertain
strangers for they may be angels unawares. Isn't that so?"

"But the Bible doesn't say that they will all be good angels, does it?
Suppose the stranger you entertain should turn out to be your enemy,
for instance?"

"Why, what do you mean?" and the widow looked her surprise. "How could
an angel be one's enemy?"

"Doesn't the Bible speak about evil angels? If people were troubled
with them in olden days I guess affairs haven't changed much since.
Now, suppose the stranger you have entertained should be your enemy
unawares instead of your friend, what would you do?"

"It wouldn't make any difference in my care of him," Mrs. Bean
emphatically replied. "I should do just as the Scripture tells me, 'If
thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so
doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.' That is what I
should do."

"Well, I guess you'll fe