"I do need help. Were you ever a steam whistle? You put two fingers in your mouth, one in each corner--I was trying to get up my courage to do it!" The felt hat rolled down the steps, the stranger needing both his hands. "Like this?" "Ye-s. I never saw a steam whistle, you know. That was what I was wishing." "Heard one? Because I can give a demonstration." "Don't!" Miss Theodosia shut her ears. "I heard one--demonstration. I thought some one was dying, at least." "Oh, that was the 'help wanted!' I see. My services are not required, then; it was a false alarm." Miss Theodosia was on her feet, remembering her manners. "It was a true enough alarm; won't you sit down? I think my nerves need a doctor." "Did I call myself a doctor? I am a reformed doctor, madam. It is some years since I got out. But I thought, in a very urgent case--fits, you know, or something like that--Thank you, I won't sit down. My work calls me." Miss Theodosia inclined her head politely, but curiosity seized her. How curious she was getting about many things! "I wish I knew--" she began. "Yes, madam?" "What work 'calls' reformed doctors. After they are--out." The stranger's big, unharnessed laugh was almost startling to Miss Theodosia. Why? She had never heard just such a big, unharnessed laugh before. She had heard a big harnessed laugh--when? Before she could answer her own thought, or the stranger could answer her spoken query, a hurry of small feet sounded. Only Evangeline's feet could break speed limits like that. "Oh, Miss Theodosia--oh, I don't want to int'rupt, but just soon's he's gone--" "He's gone," sighed Miss Theodosia, as the child came up. "You mustn't interrupt again, that way, unless it's a very urgent case--fits or something." In spite of proper vexation, she smiled. "Who was that man, Evangeline, that just went away?" "Oh, I don't know--I wasn't acquainted with his back; that's every speck o' him I saw. Oh! oh! oh!" "Evangeline Flagg, what is the matter now?" "'D you ever do up a man, Miss Theodosia? Stiff--awful stiff? Stefana says it's bad enough to do women up. She's havin' a dreadful time! We can't get the stiffness out; I been helpin'. It stands up alone!" Suddenly, without warning, Evangeline went off into a series of shrill shrieks. "Stop me! Stop me! Don't l-let Stefana hear me! Don't l-let me laugh!" This was an urgent case--fits or something, surely! Miss Theodosia's eyes sought the horizon for a reformed doctor. In lack of one, she shook Evangeline. "Stop at once! Make yourself stop; count ten!" "One! Two-o! Th-ree!" shrieked Evangeline, through to ten. Ten separate shrieks. Then, abruptly, she ceased. "Mercy gracious, I've stopped! I hope Stefana wasn't listenin'. But she wasn't; she was cryin'. I left her cryin'. If you could come over--. Honest, we can't do a thing! We thought you'd probably did up men." Miss Theodosia never had. Not so--awful a thing as that!