When Gordon and James were in the buggy on the way home, Gordon all at once gave a great sigh, like that of a swimmer who yields to the force of the current, or the fighter who sinks before his opponent.  “I’m about done, too,” he said.  “Here, take the lines, Elliot.”

James took the reins and looked anxiously at his companion’s face, a pale blue in the moonlight.  “You are not ill?” he said.

“No, only done up.  For God’s sake let me rest, and don’t talk till we get home!” James drove on.  Gordon’s head sank upon his breast, and he began to breathe regularly.  He did not wake until James roused him when they reached home.

* * * * *

The next morning before breakfast James was awakened by a loud voice in the office, the high-pitched one of a woman.  He recalled how exhausted Doctor Gordon had been the night before, and rose and dressed quickly.  When he entered the office Gordon was sitting huddled up in his old armchair before the fire, while bolt upright beside him sat Mrs. Slocum, discoursing in loud and angry tones, which Gordon seemed scarcely to heed.  When James entered she turned upon him.  “Now I’ll see if I can git anythin’ out of you,” she said.  “He” (pointing to Gordon) “don’t act as if he was half-alive.  I’m goin’ to have my rights if I have to go to law to git ’em.  Doctor Gordon took away my boarder.  And if I’d had him sick and die to my house, I could have got extra.  Now what I want is jest this, an’ I’m goin’ to hev it, too!  Doctor Gordon said Mr. Meserve didn’t have money.  I don’t know nothin’ about that.  I ain’t went through his pockets, but his trunk is to my house, and there’s awful nice men’s clothes into it, and I mean to hev ’em.  That ain’t nothin’ more’n fair.  That’s what I hev came here for, jest as soon as I heard the poor man had passed away.  I left my daughter to git the breakfast for the boarders, and I hev came here to see about that trunk, and hisn’s clothes.”

James laughed.  “But, Mrs. Slocum,” he said, “what on earth do you want with men’s clothes?  You can’t wear them.”

To his intense surprise the great face of the woman suddenly reddened like that of a young girl, but the next moment she gave her head a defiant toss, and stared boldly at him.  “What if I can’t?” said she.  “There’s other men as can wear ’em, and they’ll jest fit Bill Todd.  He’s been boardin’ with me five year, and if he wants to git married and save his board bill, it’s his business and mine and nobody else’s.”

James turned to Gordon, who seemed prostrated before this feminine onslaught.  “Do you object to this woman’s having the trunk?” he asked.

Gordon made an effort and roused himself.  “She can have it after I have examined it for papers,” he said.