“Shan’t I get someone to stay with you while I’m gone, Mother?  I don’t like to leave you here alone.  Miss Miriam would——­”

“Miss Miriam,” interrupted his mother, “ain’t fit company for a horse or cow, let alone a sufferin’ woman.  She just sets and stares and never says nothin’.  I have to do all the talkin’ and I’m in no condition to talk.  You run along and let me set here in peace.  It don’t hurt so much when I set still.”

[Sidenote:  Roger’s Errand]

Roger obediently started on his errand, but met Doctor Conrad half-way.  The two had never been formally introduced, but Roger knew him, and the Doctor remembered Roger as “the nice boy” who was with Ambrose North and Eloise when he went over to tell them that Barbara was all right.

“Why, yes,” said Allan.  “If it’s an emergency case, I’ll come there first.  After I see what’s the matter, I’ll go over to North’s and then come back.  I seem to be getting quite a practice in Riverdale.”

When they went in, Roger introduced Doctor Conrad to the patient.  “You’ll excuse my not gettin’ up,” said Miss Mattie, “for it’s about the gettin’ up that I wanted to see you.  Roger, you run away.  It ain’t proper for boys to be standin’ around listenin’ when woman suffrage is bein’ discussed by the only people havin’ any right to talk of it—­women and doctors.”

Roger coloured to his temples as he took his hat and hurried out.  With an effort Doctor Conrad kept his face straight, but his eyes were laughing.

[Sidenote:  What’s Wrong?]

“Now, what’s wrong?” asked Allan, briefly, as Roger closed the door.

“It’s my back,” explained the patient.  “It’s busted.  It busted all of a sudden.”

“Was it when you were stooping over, perhaps to pick up something?”

Miss Mattie stared at him in astonishment.  “Are you a mind-reader, or did Roger tell you?”

“Neither,” smiled Allan.  “Did a sharp pain come in the lumbar region when you attempted to straighten up?”

“’Twan’t the lumber room.  I ain’t been in the attic for weeks, though I expect it needs straightenin’.  It was in my bedroom.  I was stoopin’ over to open a bureau drawer, and when I riz up, I found my back was busted.”

[Sidenote:  The Prescription]

“I see,” said Allan.  He was already writing a prescription.  “If your son will go down and get this filled, you will have no more trouble.  Take two every four hours.”

Miss Mattie took the bit of paper anxiously.  “No surgical operation?” she asked.

“No,” laughed Allan.

“No mortar piled up on me and left to set?  No striped nurses?”

“No plaster cast,” Allan assured her, “and no striped nurses.”

“I reckon it ain’t none of my business,” remarked Miss Mattie, “but why didn’t you do somethin’ like this for Barbara instead of cuttin’ her up?  I’m worse off than she ever was, because she could walk right spry with crutches, and crutches wouldn’t have helped me none when I was risin’ up from the bureau drawer.”