ansactions of the morning. But when his ascending footsteps, steady
and solemn as the Dead March in "Saul," were heard upon the stairs,
their hearts failed them.

"How's little Tommy?" he asked.

"I don't think he's any better," said Mrs. Martin.

"Come to think," said the husband, "I guess I'd better send word to Miss
Bowyer to give it up and not come any more, and then I'd better get a
regular doctor. I don't somehow like to take all the responsibility,
come to think."

"Miss Bowyer's given up the case," said Mrs. Martin. "Charley's been
here, scared to death about Tommy. He brought a great doctor from Fifth
Avenue, and together they sent for Dr. Beswick. Miss Bowyer gave up the
case."

"Give up the case, did she?" he said wonderingly.

"Yes."

"Well, that's better. But I didn't ever hardly believe she'd go and give
it up."

Mr. Martin did not care to inquire further. He was rid of
responsibility, and finding himself once more under the lee of his wife,
he could eat his dinner and go back to work a happier man.

XXXV.

PHILLIDA AND HER FRIENDS.

The appearance in the Martin apartment of the trained nurse, who was an
old friend and hospital associate of Mrs. Beswick's, relieved Phillida
of night service; but nothing could relieve her sense of partial
responsibility for the delay in calling a doctor, and her resolution to
stay by little Tommy as much as possible until the issue should be
known. Every day while the nurse rested she took her place with the
patient, holding him in her arms for long hours at a time, and every day
Millard called to make inquiries. He was not only troubled about the
little boy, but there hung over him a dread of imminent calamity to
Phillida. On the fifth day the symptoms in Tommy's case became more
serious, but at the close of the sixth Dr. Beswick expressed himself as
hopeful. The next evening, when Millard called, he learned that Tommy
was improving slowly, and that Miss Callender had not come to the
Martins' on that day. His aunt thought that she was probably tired out,
and that she had taken advantage of Tommy's improvement to rest. But
when had Phillida been known to rest when anybody within her range was
suffering? Millard felt sure that she would at least have come to learn
the condition of the sick boy had she been able.

He hesitated to make inquiry after Phillida's health. Her effort to
avoid conversation with him assured him that she preferred not to
encou