Betty, and it doesn't matter whether she can
afford it or not."

Winifred waited to hear no more. Three minutes later she was ringing
violently at her own front door bell.

"Oh, Lizzie," she cried breathlessly, as the maid opened the door, "I
want you to put on your hat right away, and come with me to Dr. Bell's!
Mrs. Randall is very, very ill, and Betty and Jack don't know what to do
for her."

At first Lizzie seemed inclined to hesitate, but when the state of the
case had been more fully explained to her, she willingly consented to
leave her ironing, and she and Winifred were soon in the street hurrying
towards the home of Winifred's friends.

As they approached their destination, Winifred's courage began to fail.
After all, she thought, she might be doing a very bold and unheard-of
thing in asking a doctor to go to see a person who had frankly stated
that she could not afford to employ him. What if Dr. Bell were
angry--what if he refused to go? Winifred's heart sank at the thought.
Her friend Lulu would be at school she knew, but possibly her mother or
aunt might be at home. Winifred decided that in that case she would tell
her story to them. It would be much less formidable than appealing
directly to the doctor himself. Her heart was beating very fast as they
mounted Dr. Bell's front steps and when the door was opened by a small
boy in brass buttons, who greeted her with a broad smile of recognition,
she could scarcely summon voice enough to inquire:

"Are Mrs. Bell or Miss Warren at home, Jimmie?"

"No, Miss, they've both of 'em gone out," returned the boy, regarding
her somewhat curiously. "Miss Lulu's out too; she's gone to school."

"Yes, I knew Lulu would be at school," said Winifred, "but I thought
Mrs. Bell or Miss Warren might be in. I--I want to see the doctor."

"Oh, the doctor's in all right. He's got a patient just now, but you
can wait in the front office."

There was no help for it then, and, with a little frightened gasp,
Winifred followed the boy to the doctor's comfortable office, where she
sat down on a sofa to wait until he should be disengaged. She did not
have long to wait. In a few moments she heard the front door open and
close. Then the door of the waiting room opened and the doctor came in.

He was a tall gentleman with a kind, pleasant face, and at sight of
Winifred he came quickly forward, smiling and holding out his hand.

"Good-morning, little Miss Winnie," he said pleasantl