He handed her the prescription presently, and she arose at once. He stepped forward to open the outer door for her.
"I hope you no longer feel alarmed over her health," he remarked, with a hand on the knob.
"No; you have made us feel there was no cause for it. But for your method I am afraid there might have been."
"Thank you; but do not think anything of the kind. Your nursing was as potent a factor as my directions. It is not Congress, but the people, who make the country, you know."
"That is condescending, coming from Congress," she laughed gayly; "but I must disclaim the compliment, I am sorry to say; my nursing was only a name."
"As you please. Miss Levice, may I beg a rose of you? No, not all. Well, thank you, they will look wonderful in a certain room I am thinking of."
"Yes?" There was a note of inquiry in the little word in reply to Kemp's pointed remark spoken as with a sudden purpose.
"Yes," he continued, leaning his back against the door and looking earnestly down at the tall girl; "the room of a lad without even the presence of a mother to make it pretty;" he paused as if noting the effect of his words. "He is as lonely and uncomplaining as a tree would be in a desert; these roses will be quite a godsend to him." He finished his sentence pleasantly at sight of the expression of sympathy in the lovely brown eyes.
"Do you think he would care to see any one?"
"Well," replied the doctor, slowly, "I think he would not mind seeing you."
"Then will you tell me where he lives so that I can go there some day?"
"Some day? Why not to-day? Would it be impossible to arrange it?"
"Why, no," she faltered, looking at him in surprise.
"Excuse my curiosity, please; but the boy is in such pressing need of some pleasurable emotion that as soon as I looked at you and your roses I thought, 'Now, that would not be a bad thing for Bob.' You see, I was simply answering a question that has bothered me all day. Then will you drive there with me now?"
"Would not that be impossible with your driver?" she asked, searching unaccountably for an excuse.
"I can easily dispense with him."
"But won't my presence be annoying?" she persisted, hesitating oddly.
"Not to me," he replied, turning quickly for his hat. "Come, then, please, I must waste no more time in Bob's good cause."
She followed him silently with a sensation of quiet excitement.
Presently she found herself comfortably seated beside the doctor, who drove off at a rapid pace.
"I think," said he, turning his horses westward, "I shall have to make a call out here on Jones Street before going to Bob. You will not mind the delay, Miss Levice, I hope."
"Oh, no. This is 'my afternoon off,' you know. Father is at home, and my mother will not miss me in the least. I was just thinking--"
She came to a sudden pause. She had just remembered that she was about to become communicative to a comparative stranger; the intent, interested look in Kemp's eye as he glanced at her was the disturbing element.
"You were thinking what?" he prompted with his eye now to the horses' heads.
"I am afraid you would not be edified if I continued," she answered hastily, biting her lip. She had been about to remark that her father would miss her, nevertheless--but such personal platitudes are not always in good taste. Seeing that she was disinclined to finish her sentence, he did not urge her; and a few minutes later he drew up his horses before a rather imposing house.
"I shall not be gone a minute, I think," he said, as he sprang out and was about to attach the reins to the post.
"Let me hold them, please," said Ruth, eagerly stretching forth a hand.
He placed them in her hand with a smile, and turned in at the gateway.
He had been in the house about five minutes when she saw him come out hastily. His hat was pulled down over his brows, which were gathered in an unmistakable frown. At the moment when he slammed the gate behind him, a stout woman hurrying along the sidewalk accosted him breathlessly.
He waited stolidly with his foot on the carriage-step till she came up.
"So sorry I had to go out!" she burst forth. "How did you find my husband?
What do you think of him?"
"Madame," he replied shortly, "since you ask, I think your husband is little short of an idiot!"
Ruth felt herself flush as she heard.
The woman looked at him in consternation.
"What is the matter?" she asked.
"Matter? Mayonnaise is the matter. If a man with a weak stomach like his cannot resist gorging himself with things he has been strictly prohibited from touching, he had better proclaim himself irresponsible and be done.
It is nonsense to call me in when he persists in cutting up such antics.
Good-afternoon."
And abruptly raising his hat, he sprang in beside Ruth, taking the reins from her without a word.
She felt very meek and small beside the evidently exasperated physician.
