The Story of a Doctor's Telephone Part 24

"All right," the man shouted back and in a few minutes the lantern was bobbing along among the trees. "Why, Doctor!" exclaimed James Curtis, "have you been floundering around all this time in these woods so close to the house? Why didn't you holler before?"

"There didn't seem to be anything to 'holler' at. Until that door opened I thought I was in the middle of these woods."

"Your wife just telephoned to know if you were at our house and I told her you started home an hour ago."

"She'll be uneasy. Put me into the main road, will you, and we'll make tracks for home."

When he got there and had told Mary about it, she vowed she would not let him go to the country again when the night was so pitch dark, realizing as she made it, the futility of her vow. Then she told him of the message that had come in his absence and straightway sent him out again into the darkness.

It was midnight. The doctor was snoring so loudly that he had awakened Mary. Just in time. Ting-a-ling-ling-ling-ling. By hard work she got him awake. He floundered out and along toward the little tyrant. He reached it.

"h.e.l.lo. What is it?"

"O! I got the wrong number."

"d.a.m.nation!"

Slumber again. After some time Mary was awakened by her husband's voice asking, "What is it?"

"It's time for George to take his medicine. We've been having a dispute about it. I said it was the powder he was to take at two o'clock and he said it was the medicine in the bottle. Now he's mad and won't take either."

"It was the powder. Tell him I say for him to take it now."

The answering voice sank to a whisper, but the words came very distinctly, "I'm afraid he won't do it--he's so stubborn. I wish it was the bottle medicine because I believe he would take that."

The doctor chuckled. "Give him that," he said. "It won't make a great deal of difference in this case, and thinking he was in the right will do him more good than the powder. Good night and report in the morning."

The report in the morning was that George was better!

It was a lovely Sabbath in May. The doctor's wife had been out on the veranda, looking about her. Everywhere was bloom and beauty, fragrance and song. Long she sat in silent contemplation of the scene. At last a drowsiness stole over her and she went in and settled herself for a doze in the big easy chair.

Soon a tinkling fell upon her drowsy ear.

"Oh! that must have been the telephone. I wonder if it was two rings or three--I'd better listen," she said with a sigh as she pulled herself up.

"Is this Dr. Blank?" The voice was faint and indistinct.

"h.e.l.lo?" said Mary's husband's voice, with the rising inflection.

"h.e.l.lo?" A more p.r.o.nounced rise. No answer.

"h.e.l.lo!" falling inflection. Here Mary interposed.

"It's some lady, Doctor, I heard her."

"h.e.l.lo!" with a fiercely falling inflection.

"Dr. Blank," said the faint voice, "I forgot how you said to take those red tablets." Mary caught all the sentence though only the last three words came distinctly.

"Yes?" Her husband's 'yes' was plainly an interrogation waiting for what was to follow. She understood. He had heard only the words "those red tablets." Again she must interpose.

"Doctor, she says she forgot how you told her to take those red tablets."

"O! Why, take one every--"

Mary hung up the receiver and went back to resume her interrupted nap.

She settled back on the cus.h.i.+ons and by and by became oblivious to all about her. Sweetly she slept for awhile then started up rubbing her eyes. She went hurriedly to the 'phone and put the receiver to her ear.

Silence.

"h.e.l.lo?" she said. No answer. Smiling a little foolishly she went back to her chair. "It isn't surprising that I dreamed it." For a few minutes she lay looking out into the snow flakes of the cherry blooms. Then came the bell--three rings.

"I hope it's John asking me to drive to the country," she thought as she hurried to the 'phone. It was not. It was a woman's voice asking,

"How much of that gargle must I use at a time?"

"Oh dear," thought Mary, "what questions people do ask! When a gargler is a-gargling, I should think she could _tell_ how much to use."

The doctor evidently thought so too for he answered with quick impatience, "Aw-enough to _gargle_ with." Then he added, "If it's too strong weaken it a little."

"How much water must I put in it?" Mary sighed hopelessly and stayed to hear no more. Again she sank back in her chair hoping fervently that no more foolish questions were to rouse her from it.

When she was dozing off the bell rang so sharply she was on her feet and at the 'phone almost before she knew it.

"Doctor, the whole outfit's drunk again down here."

A woman's voice was making the announcement.

"Is that so?" The doctor's voice was calm and undisturbed.

"Yes. The woman's out here in the street just jumpin' up and down. I think _she's_ about crazy."

"She hasn't far to go."

"Her father's drunk too and so's her husband. Will you come down?"

"No, I don't think I'll come down this time."

"Well, then will you send an officer?"

"No-o--I don't--"

"I wish you _would_."

"Well, I'll try to send someone."