He stepped quickly forward.
"Ah! Some calf's-foot jelly ?" he asked genially.

"That will be fine! Maybe you'd like to see our patient, eh ?" "Oh, yes, sir," beamed Pollyanna; and the woman, in obedience to a nod from the doctor, led the way down the hall at once, though plainly with vast surprise on her face.
Behind the doctor, a young man (a trained nurse from the nearest city) gave a disturbed exclamation.
"But, Doctor, didn't Mr.Pendleton give orders not to admit--any one ?" "Oh, yes," nodded the doctor, imperturbably.

"But I'm giving orders now.

I'll take the risk." Then he added whimsically: "You don't know, of course; but that little girl is better than a six-quart bottle of tonic any day.

If anything or anybody can take the grouch out of Pendleton this afternoon, she can.