"Grayson's idea about a certain case of mine is prejudice--pure prejudice. Van Horn's is bluster. Field's is non-committal. Buller would like to back me up--good old Buller--but is honestly convinced that I'm making an awful mess of it. I want an opinion--a distinguished opinion." "Why don't you send for it?" his wife asked. Burns frowned. "That's the trouble. The more distinguished the opinion I get the more my patient will have to pay for it, and he can't afford to pay a tin dollar. At the same time--By George! There's Leaver! I heard the other day that Leaver was at a sanitorium not a hundred miles away,--there for a rest. I'll wager he's there with a patient for a few days--at a good big price a day. Leaver never rests. He's made of steel wires. I believe I'll have him up on the long-distance and see if I can't get him to run over." "Is it Dr. John Leaver of Baltimore you speak of?" "It surely is. Do you happen to know him?" "Slightly, and by reputation--a great reputation." "Great? I should say so. Jack's been sawing wood without resting for ten years. We were great chums in college, though he was two classes ahead of me. I was with him again for a winter in Germany, when we were both studying there. If I can get him over here for a day, I'll have an opinion worth respecting, whether it happens to agree with mine or not. And if it doesn't, I'll not call it prejudice." He left the table to put in a long-distance call. Between the salad and the dessert he was summoned to talk with his friend. Presently he returned, chuckling. "It must be fully ten minutes since I thought of Leaver, and now I have him promised for to-morrow. I'll meet him in the city, give him the history of the case at luncheon at the Everett, take him to the hospital afterward, bring him out here to discuss things, and give him one of your dinners. Then for a fine evening at our fireside. He's agreed to stay overnight. I didn't expect that. He's usually in too much of a hurry to linger long anywhere." "He has never seemed in a hurry, when I have seen him," Ellen observed. "He has such a quiet manner, and such a cool, calm way of looking at one, I always thought he must have a wonderful command of himself."