Chapter XXI. Why the Doctor Stayed - Page 2

The Inspector rose to his feet and saluted the new arrival with becoming respect.

"Now," said Mrs. Cameron, settling herself down with an air of determined resolve, "I want to hear all about it."

"Meaning?" said the Inspector.

"Meaning, to begin with, that famous march of yours from Calgary to the far North land where you did so many heroic things."

But the Inspector's talk had a trick of fading away at the end of the third sentence and it was with difficulty that they could get him started again.

"You are most provoking!" finally exclaimed Mrs. Cameron, giving up the struggle. "Isn't he, baby?"

The latter turned upon the Inspector two steady blue eyes beaming with the intelligence of a two months' experience of men and things, and announced his grave disapproval of the Inspector's conduct in a distinct "goo!"

"There!" exclaimed his mother triumphantly. "I told you so. What have you now to say for yourself?"

The Inspector regarded the blue-eyed atom with reverent wonder.

"Most remarkable young person I ever saw in my life, Mrs. Cameron," he asserted positively.

The proud mother beamed upon him.

"Well, baby, he is provoking, but we will forgive him since he is so clever at discovering your remarkable qualities."

"Pshaw!" said Dr. Martin. "That's nothing. Any one could see them. They stick right out of that baby."

"Dear Dr. Martin," explained the mother with affectionate emphasis, "what a way you have of putting things. But I wonder what keeps Allan?" continued Mrs. Cameron. "He promised faithfully to be home before dinner." She rose, and, going to the side of the house, looked long and anxiously up toward the foothills. Dr. Martin followed her and stood at her side gazing in the same direction.

"What a glorious view it is!" she said. "I never tire of looking over the hills and up to the great mountains."

"What the deuce is the fellow doing?" exclaimed the doctor, disgust and rage mingling in his tone. "Great Heavens! She is kissing him!"

"Who? What?" exclaimed Mandy. "Oh!" she cried, her eyes following the doctor's and lighting upon two figures that stood at the side of the poplar bluff in an attitude sufficiently compromising to justify the doctor's exclamation.

"What? It's Moira--and--and--it's Smith! What does it mean?" The doctor's language appeared unequal to his emotions. "Mean?" he cried, after an exhausting interlude of expletives. "Mean? Oh, I don't know--and I don't care. It's pretty plain what it means. It makes no difference to me. I gave her up to that other fellow who saved her life and then