“Well, to go back still farther, why has God permitted such evils and untold misery to exist in the world?” thoughtfully inquired the gentleman.

“He has not ‘permitted’ it,” the girl positively declared.

“Isn’t that rather a bold assertion, if God is omnipotent?” Phillip Stanley demanded, in surprise.

“No; for He asserts that He looks on evil with ’no degree of allowance.’  For instance, you are supposed to be supreme in the sick room, your word law; but if your patient ignores your directions and remedies and substitutes others in place of them, you are not ‘permitting’ such willful disobedience.  But the patient suffers for it none the less, and you are in no way responsible for his condition.  So mortals, in their presumption and perverseness, have become idolaters, have set up false gods or devices to rob God of His power.  Take another illustration:  Truth and honesty are supreme in their realm, but there are people who prefer to lie when truth would serve them better, and who would rather steal than get an honest living.  But truth and honesty do not permit—­are not responsible for such perversion.  Until the liar and the thief turn to truth and honesty, to reclaim them, they will suffer from the results of their sins; they cannot substitute anything else.”

“I see your point, Miss Minturn, and you have given me something to think of.  You argue, too, like a veritable doctor of divinity,” said Dr. Stanley, with a smile.

“Oh! no, I do not,” retorted Katherine, with a roguish gleam in her brown eyes; “for, let your doctor of divinity get sick and he will argue for material remedies every time.”

“That is true, and my intellect, my education and experience prompt me to reason from the same standpoint,” was the grave response.  “My professional pride also cries out ’Absurd!  Impossible!  Impractical!’ But I dearly love that little girl in there,” and the man’s voice grew gentle as a woman’s and trembled in spite of his manhood, as he glanced towards the adjoining room.  “I love my sister, whose life is a mental and physical martyrdom, and I would sacrifice all I have—­yea, even professional authority and pride—­to bring health and happiness to them.  There is one thing left to try for Dorothy, to relieve that pain—­only one; but my heart shrinks, revolts from it.  That is why I have sought this conversation with you, Miss Minturn, hoping to get a little insight regarding your methods; and, while I do not grasp the so-called ‘science’ of it at all, I am impressed that you Scientists have something that we physicians have not.  But I marvel at your profound thought upon such a subject at your age.”

“You would not marvel at my ability to elucidate a difficult problem in trigonometry?” said Katherine, smiling.

“No, for that would be a natural outgrowth of your education.”