“Oh, I hope it gets better soon.  You poor creature, don’t you think a little trip into town might make you feel better?  Had you thought of going to-day?”

“Why, no.  I hadn’t thought of going in.  Are you going?”

“Did you see the Trimble ad. in the morning paper?”

“No, I didn’t see the papers this morning.  My head felt too bad.”

“Well, just glance at it.  It will interest you.  They have the Kimberley Queen, the great new South African diamond on exhibition there.”

“They have?  I never heard of it before, but isn’t that interesting.  I certainly would like to see it.  Have you ever seen it?”

“No, but I have made up my mind not to miss a sight of it.  They say it is wonderful.  You’d better come along.  I may have something interesting to tell you, too.”

“Well, I believe I will go.  Thank you, Maud, for suggesting it.  Perhaps the little change will make me feel better.  What train are you going to take?  The ten-two?  All right, I’ll try to meet you at the station.  Good-bye, Maud.”

“Good-bye, Ella.”

Craig stopped the machine, ran it back again and repeated the record.  “So,” he commented at the conclusion of the repetition, “the ‘plant’ has taken root.  Annie Grayson has bitten at the bait.”

A few other local calls and a long-distance call from Mr. Willoughby cut short by his not finding his wife at home followed.  Then there seemed to have been nothing more until after dinner.  It was a call by Mr. Willoughby himself that now interested us.

“Hello! hello!  Is that you, Dr. Guthrie?  Well, Doctor, this is Mr. Willoughby talking.  I’d like to make an appointment for my wife to-morrow.”

“Why, what’s the trouble, Mr. Willoughby?  Nothing serious, I hope.”

“Oh, no, I guess not.  But then I want to be sure, and I guess you can fix her up all right.  She complains of not being able to sleep and has been having pretty bad headaches now and then.”

“Is that so?  Well, that’s too bad.  These women and their headaches—­even as a doctor they puzzle me.  They often go away as suddenly as they come.  However, it will do no harm to see me.”

“And then she complains of noises in her ears, seems to hear things, though as far as I can make out, there is nothing—­at least nothing that I hear.”

“Um-m, hallucinations in hearing, I suppose.  Any dizziness?”

“Why, yes, a little once in a while.”

“How is she now?”

“Well, she’s been into town this afternoon and is pretty tired, but she says she feels a little better for the excitement of the trip.”

“Well, let me see.  I’ve got to come down Woodridge Avenue to see a patient in a few minutes anyhow.  Suppose I just drop off at your place?”

“That will be fine.  You don’t think it is anything serious, do you, Doctor?”

“Oh, no.  Probably it’s her nerves.  Perhaps a little rest would do her good.  We’ll see.”