The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-01

Now, in regard to your little bill, doc
tor" said the old gentleman, as he drop
ped into the physicians private office and
took a chair, according to the Chicago
Post
'Ah, yes" returned the doctor ''IH be
very glad to get the money, assure you.
l m not very prompt and business-like in
these matters, I'm afraid. l let things
run along and run along until need the
money and then make out the bill ana
send it in. No doubt some of these items
should have been charged up to you
months ago"
II don't care anything about that" re-
turned the old man. You can take all
the time you want about sending your
bills in, but, hang it all! strikes me THAI
this one is mighty steep"
why, 1 thought it very reasonable"
answered the doctor.
And some of the items l don't under
stand went on the old gentleman. For
instance, here is a charge of 81 for March
G. and as | recall it March 6 was the day
you took Sunday dinner with u.s.
Precisely" explained the doctor, "and
you Will recall also that after dinner your
daughter was kind enough to sing for me-
and that she complained of a little throat
trouble and asked me if l thought il was
anything serious, to which l replied thar
l did not"
Il recall it," admitted the old gentle
man.
We'll" said the doctor. that s.
charge is for professional advice given on
that occasion. l also charged up another
81 for the time your wiz asked me how
big dose of quinine it was safe to give
6-year-old child. You remember the occa-
sion, l suppose You had kindly invited
me to the house for a friendly game Of
K2fa hut \ IL
invitation included giving professional
advice 10 your family. Another evening
when l was calling on your daughter she
asked me what was normal temperature
in human being, and, of course 1 have
put down 81 for that. You see, the habit
of inviting professional men out socially
and then taking advantage of the fact
is growing so that many of US, includine
some of the noted singers and instrument
taists, have taken this method of dis
couraging it,"
'Ah, yes see," answered the old gen.
tleman. The fact is, 1 didn't understand
about it before. but no doubt YOU are
right. III Just deduct the offsets as soon
as 1 get to my office and then let you
know how the account stands"
The Offsets" exclaimed the doctor.
Certainly. Looking at this purely from
business point of view there is. of
course, the Sunday dinner to be charged
NR AiieAt was AultG dAl elaborate course
affair, and l should say it would be CHEAP
at $3.50. Then there is the music. NV
daughter doesn't rank with some of the
opera stars, but she was singing for Won
alone on that occasion, and naturally the
individual cost will be greater than it
would be If you were one of a large audi
ence. l should think $40 or SIS would he
very reasonable. Then the evening we
played whist my wife put in about two
hours entertaining you, and she told me
after that she never i'm her life had such
hard time to keep conversation from
tagging l don't know what will be a. fair
charge for that. I'll have to talk it over
with her"
The basis upon which a compromise will
be reached is problematical but friends of
both still have hopes of keeping the matter
out of court.