CHAPTER XVII.

Dr. Stanley has an object lesson.

She found Katherine already awake.

“What do you think of tramps who take possession of your room and drive you out of your comfortable bed?” playfully demanded the girl, and nodding brightly at her.

“I like it—­that is, when I have the privilege of choosing the tramp,” her teacher laughingly responded, as she sat up and glanced at the clock; “besides, this couch is every bit as comfortable as the bed.  Did you rest well, Kathie?”

“Beautifully.  The last I knew, until about ten minutes ago, you were reading the twenty-third psalm.”

Miss Reynolds arose and began to dress.  Once or twice she found her eyes straying to Katherine’s bandaged hand, and longed to inquire regarding its condition.  But she wisely resisted the temptation and maintained a discreet silence.

“You will not try to go down to breakfast, Kathie,” she remarked, as she completed her toilet, and the bell began to ring just at that moment.

“No, I think I will keep out of sight to-day.  I do not wish to answer questions.  Besides, I haven’t anything here suitable to put on.” and she bestowed a rueful look upon her pretty evening dress, all crumpled and burned, that lay over the back of a chair.

“True; but I will go for one of your dresses when I come up from breakfast,” said her friend; “meantime, if you care to get up, you can slip on this negligee of mine,” and she threw a dainty wrapper over the foot of the bed as she spoke.

As soon as Miss Reynolds left the room, Katherine arose and dressed, then sat down to read.  She was glad to be alone, for, though she was entirely free from pain, she felt she still had work to do for herself.

For nearly an hour she read and worked diligently, and then her teacher returned, bearing a tempting breakfast, which she soon dispatched with the appetite of a healthy, hungry girl.

“I met Prof.  Seabrook and his wife on my way up,” Miss Reynolds observed, as she began putting away the things she had worn the previous evening, “and both inquired most kindly for you.  The professor said you are excused from the class lecture this morning, if you wish, and Mrs. Seabrook will come to see you later.  They both expressed themselves as deeply grateful for what you did last night.”

“I scarcely know what I did,” Katherine returned, flushing.  “Dr. Stanley came so quickly to the rescue that it was all over before I could think clearly.  It seems like a dream.”

“Yes, he told me all about it last night, Kathie, and said but for your rare presence of mind there might have been a bad fire.  He was pretty well cut up, however, when he found that you had hidden yourself away and he had lost a patient,” Miss Reynolds replied with a laugh of amusement, which was merrily echoed by her guest.