“Docile doesn’t seem just the word for you—­but I’d be glad to know, in case of emergency.”

“Let me call you that—­the name your best friends have for you.  It’s a bully name.  I know I’m ten years younger—­but—­”

“Good lack!  Jordan King, call me anything you like!  I’ll appreciate it.”

“You’ve no idea how long I’ve wanted to do it—­Red,” vowed the younger man, with the flush again creeping into his cheek.

“Why didn’t you long ago?” Burns demanded.  “Surely dignity’s no characteristic of mine.  If Anne Linton can call me ‘Red Head’ on no acquaintance at all—­”

“She didn’t do that!” King looked a little as if he had received a blow.

“Only when she was off her head, of course.  She took me for a wildcat once, poor child.  No, no—­when she was sane she addressed me very properly.  She’s back on the old decorous ground now.  Made me a beautiful little speech this morning, informing me that I had to stop calling her ‘little girl,’ for she was twenty-four years old.  As she looks about fifteen at the present, and a starved little beggar at that, I found it a bit difficult to begin on ‘Miss Linton,’ particularly as I have been addressing her as ‘Little Anne’ all the time.”

“Starved?” King seemed to have paused at this significant word.

“Oh, we’ll soon fill her out again.  She’s really not half so thin as she might be under the old-style treatment.  It strikes me you have a good deal of interest in my patients, Jord.  Shall I describe the rest of them for you?”

Burns looked mischievous, but King did not seem at all disturbed.

“Naturally I am interested in a girl you made me bring to the hospital myself.  And at present—­well—­a fellow feeling, you know.  I see how it is myself now.  I didn’t then.”

“True enough.  Well, I’ll bring you daily bulletins from Miss Anne.  And when she’s strong enough I’ll break the news to her of your proximity.  Doubtless your respective nurses will spend their time carrying flowers back and forth from one of you to the other.”

“More than likely,” King admitted.  “Anything to fill in the time.  I’m sorry I can’t take her out in my car when she’s ready.  I’ve been thinking, Doctor—­Red,” he went on hastily, “that there’s got to be some way for Aleck to drive that car in the future.  I’m going to work out a scheme while I lie here.”

“Work out anything.  I’ll prophesy right now that as soon as you get fairly comfortable you’ll think out more stuff while you’re lying on your back than you ever did in a given period of time before.  It won’t be lost time at all; it’ll be time gained.  And when you do get back on your legs—­no, don’t ask me when that’ll be, I can’t tell nor any other fellow—­but when you do get back you’ll make things fly as they never did before—­and that’s going some.”

“You are a great bluffer, but I admit that I like the sound of it,” was King’s parting speech as he watched Burns depart.