a habit to give you some trouble to drop it. You're that sort and
that's the way it works, anyhow. I wonder you came to me to-night. Found
yourself out of the stuff and didn't like to try to get it here where
folks know you?"

"If you want to put everything in the most disagreeable way you
can--yes," admitted Chester testily.

"That's precisely what I want to do. Put it in such a disagreeable way
that your backbone'll stiffen up a bit and give us something to start
with. If I make you mad all the better--so long as you don't go back
to fools like Gardner, who never hesitate to give a fellow like you a
sample of what that drug'll do for 'em:"

"What are you going to do? I shan't sleep to-night, and I've got to be
in the office to-morrow morning."

"When's your vacation due?"

"Not till week after next."

"Arrange to take it now."

"I can't. Stillinger's off on his, Monday morning."

"Could you have yours now if he waited?"

"Yes, but I wouldn't ask him."

"I would." Burns took down the receiver of his desk telephone.

"Red, stop--I don't want--"

Burns paid no attention to him. In five minutes he had the city
connection and his man. He stated the case: Chester was in urgent need
of taking his vacation without delay, but was not willing to ask the
favour of his office associate. He, Burns, his friend's physician, did
not scruple to ask it if it would not interfere too seriously with Mr.
Stillinger's plans. No diplomat could re quest a favour more courteously
than R. P. Burns, M.D. The reply was the one to be expected of
Stillinger, bachelor and amiable fellow, who was fond of Chester and
hoped it was nothing serious. Tell him to go ahead with his vacation,
Stillinger said, and not to worry over office affairs.

"Now!" Burns wheeled round from the telephone. "Will you put yourself in
my hands?"

"Do you honestly think I'm such an abandoned case--already," began
Chester unhappily, "that you have to--"

"Listen to me, Ches. I don't think you're an abandoned case--that's
nonsense--after five weeks. But I do think you're well started on a road
that it's ruin to travel. You began it way back last winter by taking
that headache stuff in double the dose I gave you, without consulting
me, every time you felt a trifle below par. That's why I took it
away from you. You felt the loss of it, and you were an easy mark for
Gardner's dope. You've grown so dependent on that already that you're
going to have a fight to