The Story of a Doctor's Telephone Part 19

The doctor's voice came to Mary from the room of the patient.

"You're worth a dozen dead women yet," it said. Then a high pitched woman's voice, "I'll tell you what Mary Ann says she thinks about it."

"Has she been here today?" If Mary Ann had been there the unfavorable condition of the patient was explained.

"Yes, she just went away. She says she believes you're just keepin'

Ellen down so you can get a big bill out of her."

The doctor was fixing up powders and went placidly on till he got through, then he said "Mary Ann has a better opinion of me than I thought she had. It takes a mighty good doctor to do that. That's a very old song but there are a few people in the world that like to sing it yet. They don't know that there isn't a doctor in the world that knows enough to do a thing like that even if he wanted to. Nature would beat him every time if they gave her a chance."

Mary heard the doctor give his instructions and then he came out. As they drove off she asked, "You came pretty near catching a tartar, didn't you?"

"Oh, that one is all right. It's her sister that's always raising the devil."

"Look! isn't she lovely, John?"

"Isn't who lovely?" asked the doctor, looking back at the house in some surprise.

"The gentle Shepherdess of Night," Mary answered, her eyes on the moon just rising over the distant treetops.

"She's getting ready to 'lead her flocks through the fields of blue.'"

"How very poetical we are."

"Only an echo from a little song I used to sing when I was a little girl."

"Get up, my steeds," urged the doctor, "we must be getting back"; and they sped swiftly homeward through the soft summer night.

CHAPTER VIII.

Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Ting-a-ling-ling-ling.

"h.e.l.lo."

"Is this the doctor's office?"

"This is his residence."

"Pshaw! I wanted his _office_."

"The doctor 'phoned me about ten minutes ago that he would be out for half an hour and asked me to answer the 'phone in his absence," Mary explained, pleasantly.

"Oh," said the voice, somewhat mollified, "I'll just call him up when he gets back. You say he'll be back in half an hour?"

"In about that time."

She went back to her work, which happened to be upstairs this morning, leaving the doors ajar behind her that she might hear the 'phone. In two minutes she was summoned down.

"What is it?"

"Is this the doctor's office?"

"No, the residence."

"I rang for the office, sorry to have troubled you, Mrs. Blank," said a man's voice.

"We are connected and when the doctor is out he expects me to be bell-boy," said Mary, recognizing the voice.

"I see. Will you please tell the doctor when he comes that my little boy is sick this morning and I want him to come down. Will he be back soon?"

"In a few minutes, I think."

She sat down by the fire. No use to go back upstairs till she had delivered the message. This was a pleasing contrast to the other; Mr.

Owen had volunteered his message as if she really had a right to know and deliver it.

Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Mary felt reluctant to answer it--it sounded so like the first. And it was not the house call this time, but two rings which undeniably meant the office. But she must be true to the trust reposed in her. She went to the 'phone and softly taking down the receiver, listened; perhaps the doctor had got back and would answer it himself. Fervently she hoped so. But there was only silence at her ear, and the ever present far-off clack of attenuated voices. The silence seemed to bristle. But there was nothing for our listener to do but thrust herself into it.

"h.e.l.lo," she said, very gently.

"O, I've got _you_ again, have I! I _know_ I rung the office this time, for I looked in the book to see. How does it happen I get the house?"

Ill temper was manifest in every word.

"The office and residence are connected," explained Mary, patiently, "and when the 'phone rings while the doctor is out, he asks me to answer it for him."

"I don't see what good _that_ does."

"It doesn't do any good when people do not care to leave a message,"

said Mary quietly.

"Well, I'd ruther deliver my message to _him_."

"Certainly. And I would much rather you would. I can at least say about what time he expects to return."

"You said awhile ago he'd be back in half an hour and he's not back _yet_."

The doctor's wife knew that she was held responsible for the delay. She smiled and glanced at the clock.

"It is just three minutes past the half hour," she said.

"Well, we're in an awful hurry for him. I'll ring agin d'reckly."

In five minutes a ring came again. Surely he would be there now, thought his wife, but she must go to the 'phone. She listened. Silence. Then the bell pealed sharply forth again. She decided to change her tactics and put the other woman on the defensive:

"Well!" she said impatiently, "I'm _very_ sorry to have to answer you again but--"