“Doctor, will you mind waiting in the next room a minute?  My brother wants to see me about something.”

Rex was afraid the physician might feel offended or else object to leaving his patient, but he said, “Why, certainly,” and then came over to take a close look at the young lawyer before leaving him.

As soon as he had gone Sydney put out one arm and passing it around Rex’s neck, drew the boy’s ear close to his mouth.

“Did I say anything while I was unconscious?” he whispered.

“No,” replied Rex, mystified.  “Nothing at all.  But what does all this mean, Syd?  What is worrying you so terribly?”

“Don’t let it worry you and then it will worry me less.  What time is it?”

“Half past five.”

“Then we ought to catch the six o’clock train.”

“But you’re not strong enough to go now,” objected Rex.  “You’re as pale as a ghost.”

“Am I?” A wan smile lit up Sydney’s face for an instant “Well, then, exercise will perhaps bring some of the color back.  You can call the doctor in now and we’ll see what he says.”

Scott arrived with the filled prescription just as Rex brought the physician back into the room.  Sydney objected to lying on the floor any longer and they helped him to a chair.

“Yes, you can go home if you don’t do any walking,” said the doctor after another examination.

“All right, I can go down in the elevator, get a carriage from the hotel across the street and ride right up to the station.  You rush down and engage one, Rex.  Scott will stay here and help the doctor down with me.  Then he can go along with us.  Don’t lose any time, Reggie.”

With an immensely relieved mind Rex hurried off to execute the commission.  He had really feared at one time that Sydney was going to die.

He was rallying rapidly now.  When he entered the coach he took out his pocketbook and paid the doctor for his services.

“We owe you something, Scott,” he added after they had started, “for what you got at the drug store.”

Scott protested, but was in the end obliged to take what he had paid out.

“It’s been an exciting afternoon for you fellows,” remarked Sydney, and Rex could not help but notice that while his tone was light, his face was still pale and that be did not look at them while he was speaking.

“I want you to promise me one thing, though.  That you will not speak of my fainting spell at home, or you either, Scott.  I have a particular reason for asking that favor.”

Both boys promised to respect his wishes, and then Sydney quickly changed the subject to the Bowmans’ trip, asking at what hotels they were going to stop, and so on until the carriage reached the station.  He seemed so much better by this time that when he met a friend on the train and took a seat with him, Rex and Scott almost forgot that he had been ill.

They found places together near by, but neither said much during the short ride.  Rex felt that Scott must be thinking of how Sydney had broken in upon his revelation of their inheritance, and wondering what it could mean.  He couldn’t explain it, so he thought best not to broach the subject.