There was a spacious, airy, upper chamber opening out on a balcony at the doctor's house which the doctor and Mary claimed for theirs. Not now; O no! But in the beautiful golden sometime when the telephone ceased from troubling and the weary ones might rest. This meant when the doctor should retire from night practice. Until that happy time they occupied a smaller room on the first floor as it was near the telephone. Mary had steadfastly refused to have the privacy of her upper rooms invaded by the tyrant. One warm summer night when bed-time came she made the announcement that she was going upstairs to sleep in the big room. "But what if I should be called out in the night?" asked her husband, with protest in his voice. "Then I'd be safer up there than down here," said Mary, calmly. "But I mean you couldn't hear the 'phone." "That is a consummation devoutly to be wished." "Now don't go off up there," expostulated John. "You always hear it and I sort of depend on you to get me awake." "Exactly. But it's a good thing for a man to depend on himself once in awhile. I was awake so often last night that I'm too tired and sleepy to argue. But I'm going. Good night." "Thunder!" "It doesn't ring _every_ night," said Mary, comfortingly from the landing. "Let us retire in the fond belief that curfew will not ring tonight." When she retired she fell at once into deep sleep. For two hours she slept sweetly on. Then she was instantly aroused. The figure of a man stood by her side. In the moonlight she saw him plainly, clad in black. Her heart was coming up into her throat when a voice said, "Mary, I have to go two miles into the country." "Why didn't you call me, John, instead of standing there and scaring me to death?" "I did call you but I couldn't get you awake." "Then you ought to have let me be. If a woman hasn't a right to a night's sleep once in awhile what _is_ she entitled to?" This petulance was unusual with his wife. "Well, come on down now, Mary," he said, kindly. "I'm not going down there this night." "But you can't hear the 'phone up here and I'm expecting a message any minute that must be answered." "I'll--hear--that--'phone," said Mary. "I'll sleep with one ear and one eye open." "Have it your own way," said the doctor as he started down the stairs. "I intend to. But when I tell you I'll watch the 'phone, John, you know I'll do it." He was gone and she lay wide awake. It seemed very hard to be ruthlessly pulled from a sleep so deep and delicious and so much needed. By and by her eye-lids began to feel heavy and her thoughts went wandering into queer places. "This won't do," she said aloud, sitting up in bed. Then she rose and went out on to the balcony. Seating herself in an arm chair, she looked about her on the silvery loveliness. The cricket's chirr and the occasional affirmations of the katy-did were the only sounds she heard. "I didn't say you didn't. Don't be so spiteful about it."