"What! And it averagin' better'n ten per cent," cried the agent in so scandalized a tone that the Doctor could not but smile. "How have you managed to keep them out, thus far?" "Haven't. There's been a couple of inspectors around, but I stalled 'em off. And we got the sick cases out right from under 'em." "Dr. Merritt is a hard man to handle if he once gets started." "He's got his hands full. The papers have been poundin' him because his milk regulations have put up the price. Persecution of the dairymen, they call it. Well, persecution of an honest property owner--with a pull--won't look pretty for Mr. Health Officer if he don't find nothing there. And the papers'll back me." "Ellis of the 'Clarion' has his eye on the place." "You can square that through your boy, can't you?" The Doctor had his own private doubts, but didn't express them. "Leave it to me," he said. "Get some disinfectants and clean up. Your owners can stand the bill--at ten per cent. Much obliged for coming in, O'Farrell." As the politician went out an office girl entered and announced: "There's a man out in the reception hall, Doctor, waiting to see you. He's asleep with his elbow on the stand." "Wake him up and ask him for his berth-check, Alice," said Dr. Surtaine, "and if he says his name is Ellis, send him in." Ellis it was who entered and dropped into the chair pushed forward by his host. "Glad to see you, my boy," Dr. Surtaine greeted him. "I thought you were going to send a reporter." "Ordinarily we would have sent one. But I'm pretty well interested in this myself. I expected to hear from you long ago." "Busy, my boy, busy. It's only been a week since I undertook the investigation. And these things take time." "Apparently. What's the result?" "Nothing." The quack spread his hands abroad in a blank gesture. "False alarm. Couple of cases of typhoid and some severe tonsillitis, that looked like diphtheria." "People die of tonsillitis, do they?" "Sometimes." "And are buried?" "Naturally." "What in?" "Why, in coffins, I suppose." "Then why were these bodies buried in quicklime?" "What bodies?" "Last week's lot." "You mean in Canadaga County? O'Farrell said nothing about quicklime." "That's what I mean. Apparently O'Farrell _did_ say something about more corpses smuggled out last week." "Mr. Ellis," said the Doctor, annoyed at his slip, "I am not on the witness stand." "Dr. Surtaine," returned the other in the same tone, "when you undertake an investigation for the 'Clarion,' you are one of my reporters and I expect a full and frank report from you." "Bull's-eye for you, my boy. You win. They did run those cases out. Before we're through with it they'll probably run more out. You see, the Health Bureau has got it in for O'Farrell, and if they knew there was anything up there, they'd raise a regular row and queer things generally." "What _is_ up?" "Honestly, I don't know." "Nor even suspect?"