e it. I wanna buy it for my yacht."

Her ghastly simulacrum of a jest died in her throat; and he said
quickly, a big blush suffusing his face:

"I was only fooling, missy. You ain't got the scare, have you?"

"The scare?"

"Yes; the bug? You ain't afraid you've ate the germ, are you?"

"I--I dunno."

"Pshaw! There's a lot of 'em comes in here more scared than hurt, missy.
Never throw a scare till you've had a examination. For all you know you
got hay fever, eh! Hay fever!" And he laughed as though to salve his
words.

"I--got all them things on the red-printed list, I tell you. I--I got
'em all, night sweats and all. I--I got 'em."

"Sure you got 'em, missy; but that don't need to mean nothin' much."

"I got 'em, I tell you."

"Losin' weight?"

"Feel."

He inserted two fingers in her waistband.

"Huh!"

"You a doctor?"

He performed a great flourish.

"I ain't in the profesh, missy. I'm only chief clerk and bottle washer
round here; but--"

"Where is the doctor? That him reading down there? Can I ask him--I--Oh!
Ain't I scared!"

He placed his big, cool hand over her wrist and his face had none of its
smile.

"I know you are, little missy. I seen it in you last night when you
and--and--"

"My--my friend."

"--your friend was in here. There's thousands come in here with the
scare on, and most of 'em with a reason; but I picked you out last
night from the gang. Funny thing, but right away I picked you. 'A
pretty little thing like her'--if you'll excuse me for saying it--'a
pretty little thing like her,' I says to myself. 'And I bet she ain't
got nobody to steer her!'"

"Honest, did you?"

"Gee, it ain't none of my put-in; but when I seen you last night--funny
thing--but when I seen you, why, you just kinda hit me in the eye; and,
with all that gang round me, I says to myself: 'Gee, a pretty little
thing like her, scared as a gazelle, and so pretty and all; and no one
to give her the right steer!'"

"Aw, you seen me?"

"Sure! Wasn't it me reached out the pamphlet to you? You had on that
there same cutey little hat and jacket and all."

"Does it cost anything to talk to the doctor down there?"

"Forget it! Go right down and he'll give you a card to the Victoria
Clinic. I know them all over there and they'll look you over right,
little missy, and steer you. Aw, don't be scared; there ain't nothing
much wrong with you--maybe a sore spot, that's all. That cough ain't
a double-lunger. You