Lacking the knowledge and profanity Of him who, were he there, would settle quick This much ado about much nothingness. And so these anticipatory peals Reverberate through fancy as she sits, And make her rather choose to bear the ills She has than fly to others she may meet; To wait a little longer for her spouse, That, when at last she does retire to rest, She may be somewhat surer of her sleep. And so she sits there waiting for the step And the accompanying clearing of the throat Which she would know were she in Zanzibar. And by-and-by he comes and fate is kind And lets them slumber till the early dawn. CHAPTER II. Ten P.M. The 'phone is ringing and the sleepy doctor gets out of bed and goes to answer it. "Hello." No response. "Hello!" Silence. "Hello!!" "Is this Doctor Blank?" "Yes." "I want you to come out to my house--my wife's sick." "Who is it?" "Jim Warner. Come just as--" A click in the receiver. The doctor waits a minute. Then he says "Hello." No answer. He waits another minute. "_Hell-o!!_" Silence. "Damn that girl--she's cut us off." He hangs up the receiver and rings the bell sharply. He takes it down and hears a voice say leisurely, "D'ye get them?" "Yes! What in h-ll did you cut us off for?" "Wait a minute--I'll ring 'em again," says the voice, hasty and obliging, so potent a thing is a man's unveiled wrath. She rings 'em again. Soon the same voice says, "Are you there yet, Doctor?" "Yes, _now_ what is it!" The voice proceeds and the doctor listens putting in an occasional "Yes" or "No." Then he says, "All right--I'll be out there in a little bit." He hangs up the receiver and his wife falls asleep again. The doctor dresses and goes out. The house is in darkness. All is still. In about five minutes Mary is suddenly, sharply awake. A slight noise in the adjoining room! She listens with accelerated heart-beats. The doctor has failed to put on the night latch. Some thief has been lying in wait watching for his opportunity, and now he has entered. What can she do. Muffled footsteps! she pulls the sheet over her head, her heart beating to suffocation. The footsteps grope their way toward her room! Great Heaven! A hand fumbles at the door knob. She shrieks aloud. "What on earth is the matter!" O, brusque and blessed is that voice! "John, you have nearly scared me to death," she says, sitting up in bed, half laughing and half crying. "But I heard you tell that man you were coming out there." "Yes. I told him I was." "Well, why didn't you go?" "I _did_ go." "You don't mean to tell me you have been a mile and back in five minutes." The doctor flashed on the light and looked at his watch,--"Just an hour since I left home," he said. Mary gasped. "Well, it only proves how soundly I can sleep when I get a chance," she said. * * * * * Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Ting-a-ling-ling-ling.