Simmy did not blink an eye. "Then right here he stays," he said heartily.
"Baffly, we shall have two nurses here for a while,--and we may also have
to put up a young lady relative of Mr. Tresslyn's. Get the rooms ready. By
Jove, Brady, he--he looks frightfully ill, doesn't he?" His voice dropped
to a whisper. "Is he likely to--to--you know!"

"I think you'd better send for Dr. Bates," said Braden gravely. "I believe
his mother and sister will be better satisfied if you have him in at once,
Simmy."

"But Lutie expressly--"

"I shall do all that I can to redeem my promise to that poor little girl,
but we must consider Anne and Mrs. Tresslyn. They may not have the same
confidence in me that Lutie has. I shall insist on having Dr. Bates called
in."

"All right, if you insist. But--but you'll stick around, won't you, Brady?"

Thorpe nodded his head. He was watching the sick man's face very closely.

Half an hour later, Lutie Tresslyn and Anne Thorpe entered the elevator on
the first floor of the building and went up together to the apartment of
Simeon Dodge. Anne had lifted her veil,--a feature in her smart tribute to
convention,--and her lovely features were revealed to the cast-off sister-
in-law. For an instant they stared hard at each other. Then Anne,
recovering from her surprise, bowed gravely and held out her hand.

"May we not forget for a little while?" she said.

Lutie shook her head. "I can't take your hand--not yet, Mrs. Thorpe. It was
against me once, and I am afraid it will be against me again." She
detected the faintest trace of a smile at the corners of Anne's mouth. A
fine line appeared between her eyes. This fine lady could still afford to
laugh at her! "I am going up to take care of my husband, Mrs. Thorpe," she
added, a note of defiance in her voice. She was surprised to see the
smile,--a gentle one it was,--deepen in Anne's eyes.

"That is why I suggested that we try to forget," she said.

Lutie started. "You--you do not intend to object to my--" she began, and
stopped short, her eyes searching Anne's for the answer to the uncompleted
question.

"I am not your enemy," said Anne quietly. She hesitated and then lowered
the hand that was extended to push the button beside Simmy's door. "Before
we go in, I think we would better understand each other, Lutie." She had
never called the girl by her Christian name before. "I have nothing to
apologise for. When you And George were married I did not