relevantly. "You've been down to see Mrs.
Thorpe. How is she? How does she appear to be taking it?" He spoke
rapidly, nervously.

"As well as could be expected," replied the older man drily. "She is glad
that it's all over. So are we all, for that matter."

"Did she send for you?"

"Yes," said Dr. Bates, after an instant's hesitation. "I'll be frank with
you, Braden. She wanted to know just what happened."

"And you told her?"

"I told her that you did everything that a man could do," said the other,
choosing his words with care.

"In other words, you did not tell her what happened."

"I did not, my boy. There is no reason why she should know. It is better
that she should never know," said Dr. Bates gravely.

"What did she say?" asked Braden sharply.

Dr. Bates suddenly was struck by the pallor in the drawn face. "See here,
Braden, you must get a little rest. Take my advice and--"

"Tell me what she had to say," insisted the young man.

"She cried a little when I told her that you had done your best, and
that's about all."

"Didn't she confess that she expected--that she feared I might have--"

"Confess? Why do you use that word?" demanded Dr. Bates, as the young man
failed to complete his sentence. His gaze was now fixed intently on
Braden's face. A suspicion was growing in his mind.

"I am terribly distressed about something, Dr. Bates," said Braden,
uneasily. "I wish you would tell me everything that Anne had to say to
you."

"Well, for one thing, she said that she knew you would do everything in
your power to bring about a successful result. She seemed vastly relieved
when I told her that you had done all that mortal man could do. I don't
believe she has the faintest idea that--that an accident occurred. Now that
I think of it, she did stop me when I undertook to convince her that your
bark is worse than your bite, young man,--in other words, that your
theories are for conversational and not practical purposes. Yes, she cut
me off rather sharply. I hadn't attached any importance to her--See here,
Braden," he demanded suddenly, "is there any reason why she should have
cut me off like that? Had she cause to feel that you might have put into
practice your--your--Come, come, you know what I mean." He was leaning
forward in his chair, his hands gripping the arm-rests.

"She is more or less in sympathy with my views," said Braden warily. "Of
course, you could not expect her to be in sympathy with them i