"Which is just as well. Hamburger and barbecue are more easily budgeted." "Nicholas," said the girl, tossing the paper napkin out of the car window, "is that an indirect and very evasive proposal of marriage?" "You know it could be, if you wished it!" "And do I?" she said, assuming a pensive air. "I wonder. Suppose we say I'll let you know later." "And meanwhile?" "Oh, meanwhile we can be sort of engaged. Just the way we've been." "You're sweet, Pat," he murmured, as the car edged into the line of traffic. "I don't know just how to convey my appreciation, but it's there!" The buildings drew more closely together; the road was suddenly a lighted street, and then, almost without realizing it, they were before Pat's home. Nick walked beside her to the door; he stood facing her hesitantly. "Good night, Pat," he said huskily. He leaned down, kissing her very gently, turned, and departed. The girl watched him from the open doorway, following the lights of his car until they vanished down the street. Dear, sweet Nick! Then the disturbing memory of that occurrence of the evening returned; she frowned in perplexity as the thought rose. That was all of a piece with the puzzling character of him, and the curious veiled references he'd made. References to what? She didn't know, couldn't imagine. Nick had said he didn't know either, which added still another quirk to the maze. She thought of Dr. Horker's words. With the thought, she glanced at his house, adjacent to her own home. A light gleamed in the library; he was still awake. She closed the door behind her, and darted across the narrow strip of lawn to his porch. She rang the bell. "Good evening, Dr. Carl," she said as the massive form of Horker appeared. She puckered her lips impudently at him as she slipped by him into the house. 6 A Question of Science "Not that I'm displeased at this visit, Pat," rumbled the Doctor, seating himself in one of the great chairs by the fireplace, "but I'm curious. I thought you were dating your ideal tonight, yet here you are, back alone a little after eleven. How come?" "Oh," said the girl nonchalantly, dropping crosswise in the other chair, "we decided we needed our beauty sleep." "Then why are you here, you young imp?" "Thought you might be lonesome." "I'll bet you did! But seriously, Pat, what is it? Any trouble?" "No-o," she said dubiously. "No trouble. I just wanted to ask you a few hypothetical questions. About science." "Go to it, then, and quickly. I was ready to turn in." "Well," said Pat, "about Nick's father. He was a doctor, you said, and supposed to be cracked. Was he really?" "Humph! That's curious. I just looked up a brochure of his tonight in the American Medical Journal, after our conversation of this afternoon. Why do you ask that?" "Because I'm interested, of course."