The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-23
O'Regan and Tie Doctor.

as to the qualifying adjective They
are doubtful whether Dicky has really
retired or is only resting between pro-
fessional engagements
Dicky lives with his old mother With
that strange inconsistency which has
so often puzzled students of moral
problems, Dicky is one of the best of
sons. Always, except when spending
a wear or two at Joliet or some other
similar moral sanitarium he has lived
With his mother and has provided well
for her support. Mrs. O'Regan's sun
rises and sets in the freckled face of
Dicky, her son. and no one could make
her believe that he is not a splendid
young man. prosecuted by the police
and other bloodhounds
( Also Dicky ii immensely popular
with all the poor people who live in
the same block. Naturally he is a
kindly person. and, when flush of
money as occasionally happens imme-
dlately after a scare head has APP
peared in the newspapers, he often
helps" out families who have not
been so fortunate as himself None
or D1cky's neighbors has ever asked
MIN for help in vain, which is one rea-
son why Dieky never has any trouble
in finding alibi witnesses In case he is
dren of the neighborhood he is, sad
to say. good deal of a hero. They
look up to him as a big, good-natured
man, VINO manages to make a living
"AtA4Cob WOIk@ll0 LOO nara Tor 1t. ana
who is always ready to lend them a
dime or come to their assistance when
lhlngs go wrong at home.
D1cky O'Regan was not especially
surprised, therefore. when the other
morning just at O'clock there sounded
loud pounding on the door of the cot
tage occupied by himself and his doting
mother.
We'll" said Dieky, who is naturally
suspicious as to the identity of early
nOTnInc y17ote
It's Mag Sullivan sounded a shrill
ana frightened little voice in answer.
ing
in the little 10 year old girl who stood
shivering outside, with the thermome-
ter at below zero.
She was took bad yesterday" whin-
ed the little girl. land now she's rolling
around and hollering loud. I guess
she's a-croaking and I'm afraid
Dicky put on his overeoat and went
out into the street with the little girl
She and her mother lived in a little
two-room shanty at the back of the lot
in the shanty and the bedroom i'll
which the woman lay was cold. She
was apparently delirious and was call
ing aloud for her man." who had de-
serted the family year before.
wait till I get you warm" said
Dieky. He ran back to his own place
and carried a bucket of coal over to
the SulliVan's shanty. With that and
the assistance of a broken chair back
he soon got the little stove steamng
and made the cottage fairly conforta-
BILE.
who's the doctor?r asked Dicky,
who saw that Mrs. Sullivan was an ex-
tremely sick woman. Little Mag nam
ed physician who lived more than a
mile away on one of the boulevards
Dick decided that if medical skill was
to do any good it must be had quickly.
1t would probably be fatal. to wait ur1--
til the family doctor could arrive, even
if he started at once.
'I'll go an get a DOCTOR Mag" said
Dicky Il won't be gone long"
Don't go, Dicl6y," pleaded the little
girl. I'm afraid to stay here with her
alone. She might croak on me-
| But Dick insisted. o5
I'm be back in minute" he said.
Your mothers got to have doctor
| quick
A block away in a second story fiat,
| over a drug store, lived a young doctor.
| Dicky ran upstairs and rang the bell.
The doctor opened the door and seemed
not at all pleased and a bit frightened
when he recognized his caller as the
well known bank robber.
Mrs. Sullivan's dying said Dicky.
/ II want you to come right away and do
something for her.
Who's the family doctor?' asked the
physician.
He lives a mile away" answered
Dicky, naming him. 1.-THE old woman
might be dead before we could get
him.
"Well, have they got any money %
demanded the doctor.
Il don't know" sgd Dicky- Il guess
they've got a little"
We'll, I'll go over to the house and
see," said the doctor finally. eff they
haven't got any money L won't do any
thing
/ Now, before you blame the doctor too
strongly you should consider that it
was o'clock in the morning and six
degrees below zero, also that exper-
fence had taught the doctor that col
lect on delivery was the only safe poll
on his practice in that neighborhood
for a living. And, finally, he recog-
nized Mr.. O'Regan and he was not ta-
ken with the idea of paying early
morning calls in the company of a
man of his reputation
However, Dicky and the doctor final
Ily started ola together and walked
around the corner and down the alley
to the Sullivan shanty. AS they opened
the door little Mag came running to
meet them.
"She's a lot worser.
The doctor. his little night case in his
hand, hesitated in the open doorway,
| rag. nave you gol any ii,oiieS u. w
manded Dicky O'Regan, who realized
that that was the first question to be
Esettled.
Nav" said Mag. mot red
well, then, I'm not going to waste
my time around here began the doe
tor, but Dicky interrupted him lie
thrust one hand into the pocket of his
overcoat and pulled out a large ant
brightly polished revolver.
Here, DOCTOR" he said, holding out
the gun in his right hand. But the doc
tors face had gone white.
IAN right, Mr. O'Regan." he said
"All right, sir I'll do the best cal
for her.
The doctor threw off his overcoat AMI
started to work on the sick woman
peering out anxiously now and then t
the room where Dicky sat, still holding
the revolver in his hand
Half an hour later the doctor came
out into the outer room.