As the politician went out an office girl entered and announced:
"There's a man out in the reception hall, Doctor, waiting to see you. He's asleep with his elbow on the stand."
"Wake him up and ask him for his berth-check, Alice," said Dr. Surtaine, "and if he says his name is Ellis, send him in."
Ellis it was who entered and dropped into the chair pushed forward by his host.
"Glad to see you, my boy," Dr. Surtaine greeted him. "I thought you were going to send a reporter."
"Ordinarily we would have sent one. But I'm pretty well interested in this myself. I expected to hear from you long ago."
"Busy, my boy, busy. It's only been a week since I undertook the investigation. And these things take time."
"Apparently. What's the result?"
"Nothing." The quack spread his hands abroad in a blank gesture. "False alarm. Couple of cases of typhoid and some severe tonsillitis, that looked like diphtheria."
"People die of tonsillitis, do they?"