The Story of a Doctor's Telephone Part 38

What kind is this?"

"These are podophyllin pills."

"Gee, the _name's_ enough to kill a feller."

"Well, Morning-Glories is a good name. If you take too many you'll be wafted straight to glory in the morning, and the road will be a little rough in places."

"Confound it, Jake," called the first driver, "don't you take _none_ of 'em. Don't monkey with 'em." But Jake had agreed to trade a melon for pills. He held out his big hand. "Pour me out some of them Little Devils. I'll risk 'em."

The doctor emptied the small bottle into Jake's hand, replaced it in the case and drove off.

"John, why in the world didn't you give him some instructions as to how to take them?" asked Mary, energetically.

"He didn't ask me to prescribe for him, my dear. He wanted to trade a watermelon for pills and we traded."

"For pity's sake," said Mary indignantly, "and you're going to let that man kill himself while you strain at a point of professional etiquette!"

She was gazing back at the unfortunate man.

"Don't you worry, he'll be too much afraid of them to hurt himself with them," said the doctor, laughing.

"I sincerely hope he will."

As they came in sight of home the doctor, who had been silent for some time, sighed heavily. "I am thinking of that little child out there. I tell you, Mary, a case of meningitis makes a man feel his limitations."

CHAPTER XIII.

A long, importunate peal. The doctor rose and went swiftly. Mary listened with interest to what was to come:

"Yes."

"Yes."

"Yes."

"Yes."

"Yes."

He rang off.

"That was decided in the affirmative," said Mary.

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

"Doctor, do you think the baby will cut any more teeth this summer?"

"You'd better ring up Solomon and ask that."

"Well--if he gets through teething--don't you think he'll be all right?"

"If he gets through with the way you _feed_ him he'll be all right."

"Well, his teething has lots to do with it."

"No, it don't--not a darned bit. If you'll take care of his stomach his teeth will take care of themselves. It's what goes _between_ the teeth that does the mischief. I keep telling people that every day, and once in a while I find someone with sense enough to believe it. But a lot of 'em know too much--then the baby has to pay for it."

"Well, I'll be awful careful, Doctor."

"All right then. And stick right to the baby through the hot months. Let me hear from it. Good-bye."

Ting-a-ling-ling-ling--three times. Mary rose and went. An agitated voice said, "Come and see the baby!" and was gone. "She is terribly frightened," thought Mary, as she rang central.

"Some one rang Dr. Blank. Can you find out who it was?"

"I'm afraid not."

"Will you please try?"

"Yes, but people ought to do their own talking and not bother us so much."

"I know," said Mary gently, "but this is a mother badly frightened about her baby--she did not think what she was doing and left the 'phone without giving me her name."

Central tried with such good result that Mary was soon in possession of the name and number. She telephoned that she would send the doctor down as soon as she could find him, which she thought would be in a few minutes. Then she telephoned a house where he had been for several days making evening visits.

"Is Dr. Blank there?"

"He _was_ here. He's just gone."

"Is he too far away for you to call him?"

"Run and see, Tommy."