go to see her," said Milford. "You had no divorce."

"But I could've got one, couldn't I? Are they so blamed scarce that a
man can't get 'em? Well, let it go."

"Yes, I must go," said the Professor, getting up. "Is it raining yet? I
slipped off between showers without an umbrella."

"Sorry I haven't one," Milford replied. "Yes, it's raining. Take that
coat up there. It may protect you some."

"Thank you. I shall avail myself of your offer."

He put on the coat, bade them good-night, and set out for home. The road
was muddy and he walked close to the fence. Once he strode into a patch
of briars. "The waste land of my years of study," he said. He shied when
he saw the light in his window, and he cleared his throat and braced
himself. His wife and Miss Catherine, hearing him upon the veranda, sat
down upon the floor, as if they had no chairs. He stepped in, looked at
them, and sadly shook his head.

"I would be polite enough to choose a finer insinuation," said he.
"There may be virtue in a hint--there may be all sorts of spice in it,
but there's nothing but insult in squatting around on the floor like
this. I don't know how to choose words for the occasion. I will simply
bid you good-night."

He heard them talking after he went to bed. He sighed out his distemper
and fell asleep. In the morning he found that he had hung Milford's coat
upside down. A paper had fallen from the pocket. He took it up, opened
it, and with a start he recognized his medical treatise.

CHAPTER XXI.

FROM HER.

Early the next morning Milford was leading a horse out of the barn when
he met the Professor at the door. For a moment the scholar stood puffing
the short breath of his haste; he had not picked his way, for his
clothes were bespattered with mud, as if in his eagerness he had split
the middle of the road.

"You're out early," said Milford.

"But not early enough. One who has been deceived is always too late. Mr.
Milford, I have been grossly imposed upon by--by your generosity, sir.
That paper, the medical treatise. It fell out of your coat. I found it
this morning. Can you explain?"

"Well, I haven't time just now," said Milford, preparing to mount the
horse. "I've got to ride over to Hardy's to see about some calves. We'll
talk about the treatise some other time."

"No, sir," the Professor replied, holding up his hand. "We must talk
about it now. You were to take that paper to the Doctor's wife. You
brought me the