"That I have not," she replied eagerly and Rosemary yielded her place while Winnie stared over Mrs. Willis' shoulder at the mysterious white lines and dots. "You must be expecting a lot of sick folks, Hughie," she commented after a moment's study. "I'll give up the other office," the doctor explained, "and have all my office hours here." "When can Mr. Greggs start work, Hugh?" asked his mother, rescuing the elastic bands from Shirley and moving the ink well back from the small, exploring fingers. "Next week, he hopes," Doctor Hugh answered. "There won't be any digging to be done, because we are not going to extend the cellar; but there will be mason work for the foundation and they want to open out the side of the hall as soon as they start." "It will be messy," said Winnie, with unmistakable disapproval of anything "messy." "It will be messy," agreed the doctor. "Worse than that, it will be noisy. I want Mother and you to take the girls and go away till it is over. I don't think anyone should be asked to endure the sound of constant hammering in the hot weather; I'll be out of the house so much that I don't count and of course I'll keep the other office till things are in shape here." He spoke evenly, but his eyes met Winnie's across Mrs. Willis' shapely drooping head. "I think we ought to get out of Mr. Greggs' way," declared Winnie briskly. "Carpenters have small patience with women and their housekeeping habits. They think we're interfering when we only want to keep 'em from driving nails in the mahogany tables. And if they're going to ruin the hall rug with their bricks and mortar I, for one, don't want to be here to see it." "Oh, Winnie, you fraud!" Mrs. Willis spoke merrily. "You are not worrying about the hall rug--I know you too well. You're siding with Hugh and you are both conspiring to wreck the household budget a second time. I had all the luxury one woman is entitled to last year in the sanitarium--from now on I intend to consider expenses and a summer away from home isn't to be thought of." "Your health is worth more than dollars and cents," said Winnie sagely. "I'm not going to take music lessons this vacation," offered Rosemary. "That ought to help, Mother." "If I can arrange it so you can leave the house while the alterations are being put through and yet keep the living expenses down to your stipulated level--will you go, Mother?" said Doctor Hugh artfully. "Can you come, too?" countered his mother. "Well--part of the time at least," he temporized.