-room," said the clerk.

"Then I'll wait." The Spider sidled across to the reception-room and
sat nervously fingering the arm of his chair. Nurses passed and
repassed the doorway, going quietly through the hall. From somewhere
came the faint animal-like wail of a newly born babe. The Spider had
gripped the arm of his chair. A well-gowned woman stopped at the
information desk and left a great armful of gorgeous roses wrapped in
white tissue paper. Presently a man--evidently a laborer--hobbled past
on crutches, his foot bandaged; a huge, grotesque white foot that he
held stiffly in front of him and which he seemed to be following,
rather than guiding. A nurse walked slowly beside him. The Spider
drummed the chair-arm with nervous fingers. His little beady eyes were
constantly in motion, glancing here and there,--at the empty chairs in
the room, at the table with its neatly piled magazines, at a large
picture of the hospital, and a great group of nurses standing on the
stone steps, and then toward the doorway. Presently a nurse came in
and told him that Dr. Andover would be unable to see him for some time:
that the patient just operated on was doing as well as could be
expected.

"He--he's come through all right?"

"Yes. You might call up in an hour or so."

The Spider rose stiffly and put on his hat.

"Thanks," he said and hobbled out and across the lobby. A cab was
waiting for him, and the driver seemed to know his destination, for he
whipped up his horse and drove south toward the Mexican quarter,
finally stopping at an inconspicuous house on a dingy side street that
led toward the river. The Spider glanced up and down the street before
he alighted. Then he gave the driver a bill quite out of proportion to
his recent service. "You can come about the same time to-morrow," said
The Spider, and he turned and hobbled to the house.

About noon he came out, and after walking several blocks stopped at a
corner grocery and telephoned to the hospital, asking for Andover, who
informed him that the operation had been successful, as an operation,
but that the patient was in a critical condition--that it would be
several hours before they would dare risk a definite statement as to
his chances of recovery. The surgeon told The Spider that they were
using oxygen, which fact in itself was significant.

The Spider crossed the street to a restaurant, drank several cups of
coffee, and on his way out bought a supply