h done taken
my leave of ol' Virginny." Bo Peep's white teeth glistened as he laughed.

"Any calls while I was gone?" Dr. Carey asked.

Bo Peep pretended not to hear as he busied himself over his employer's
wraps, until Carey repeated the question.

"No, suh! no, suh! none that kaint wait till mawhnin', suh," Bo Peep
assured him, adding to himself, "Tiahd as he is, he's not gwine way out to
Grass Riveh this blessed night, not if I loses my job of bein' custodian
of this huh 'stablishment. Not long's my name's Bone-ah-gees Peepehville,
no, suh!"

Dr. Carey settled down for the evening with some inexplicable misgiving he
could not overcome.

"I didn't sleep well last night, Bo Peep," he said when he rose late the
next morning. "I reckon we doctors get so used to being called out on
especially bad nights we can't rest decently in our beds."

"I didn't sleep well, nutheh," Bo Peep replied. "I kep thinkin' bout that
man come heah foh you yestedy. I jes wa'n't gwine to le' yuh go out again
las' night."

"What did he want?" the doctor asked, secretly appreciative of Bo Peep's
goodness of heart as he saw the street full of whirling snow.

"He done said hit wah a maturity case."

Bo Peep tried to speak carelessly. In truth, his conscience had not left
him in peace a moment.

"What do you mean? Who was it?" Horace Carey demanded.

"Don't be mad, Doctah, please don't. Hit wah cuz you all wah done woah out
las' night. Hit wah Misteh Shulley from Grass Riveh, suh. He said hit wah
Misteh Asheh Aydelot's wife--"

"For the love of God!" Horace Carey cried hoarsely, springing up. "Do you
know who Mrs. Aydelot is, Bo Peep?"

"No, suh; neveh see huh."

"She was Virginia Thaine of the old Thaine family back at home."

Bo Peep did not sit down. He fell in a heap at Dr. Carey's feet, moaning
grievously.

"Fo' Gawd, I neveh thought o' harm. I jus' thought o' you all, deed I did.
Oh! Oh!"

"Help to get me off then," Carey commanded, and Bo Peep flew to his
tasks.

When the doctor was ready to start he found two horses waiting outside in
the storm and Bo Peep, wrapped to the eyes, beside them.

"Why two?" he asked kindly, for Bo Peep's face was so full of sorrow he
could not help pitying the boy.

"Please, kaint I go with you all? I can cook betteh'n Miss Virginia eveh
could, an' I can be lots of help an' you all'll need help."

"But it's a stinger of a storm, Bo Peep," the doctor insisted, anxious to
be off.

"Nev