Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-07-19
The Doctors
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Like an engine horse awakened by q
nre alarm. the doctor sprang into mar.
ness, and, candle In hand, darted
downstairs.
Peering into the empty darkness at
the opened front door, his thought
was that naughty doy had rung his
DELL and hidden, but as he started in
pursuit he stumbled over some obsta-
Gle on his doorstep. He bent low,
holding his candle down in front OF
him. There stood large basket with
ragged holes in It's side and patch
work quilt tied over its top. The bas-
ket creaked and he heard long
drawn sigh. Then he spied scrib-
bled paper fastened to the quilt.
Deer doctor" he read, his forehead
gathering a puzzled frown, "McGin-
TVS the hole wirld to me, but tomorer
were going to move way off on the
kars and can't take him long. no
you'll treet him good becaws you was
nice to me when / was sick. plees
love McGinty hole lot and he'll love
you back"
A smile twitched the doctors
mouth, but the next instant his kind
eyes flashed. Who was this inhuman
mother who would not be bothered
with baby on journey? Unknot.
ting rope and pulling aside the quilt
the doctor eagerly peered down at the
doorstep baby-an ugly, scrubby, vel.
low puppy!
The doctor gasped. And he laughed
60 loud that the sleeping baby awoke
with squeaky bark.
Now, DR.. Worth likes dogs, in their
place"-their place being. in his opin.
ion. a yard with barn to sleep in.
out as he lived in rooms over his OF.
nee and put his horse up at a liver,
stable. he had no use for dog.
DR.. Worth gently dropped the dog
into the basket. showing it into cor.
ner of the hall. "Of course" he said
grufiy. you may stay until morning.
Good night"
Come back! Come back!" yelped
McGnty after the vanishing doctor.
You'll soon tire" smiled DR..
Worth. hurrying to bed while the
yelps grew into howls.
But McGinty did not tire. The doc.
tor tossed and fumed: the doctor
arose and shouted threats over the
banisters. All to no purpose. At last
ne had an inspiration. Perhaps his
doorstep baby was hungry. Downing
bathrobe and slippers. armed with a
candle and cracker jar. he de-
scended.
Poor pupsy!" he murmured in an
apologetic tone. as McGinty rayenous.
" devoured his offering. aNow he'll
90 quietly to Sleep
The doctor again retired. Howls
tenfold louder than before burst upon
the silence Of the night.
You wretched beast!" yelled DR.
Worth, dashlng down two steps at a
time. I'D Just like to thrash you!"
His face crimson. the doctor painted
upstairs. the big basket in both arms,
its occupant bobbing up and down In
delight.
Il wouldn't have believed my best
friend had he told me I'd let dog
sleep In my room!" The doctor vi
ciously kicked the basket under the
bed.
Peace reigned for five minutes. then
McGinty decided that he did not like
the lonely dark under the bed any bet.
ter than down in the hall, and as the
doctor was doing OF, the most blood
curdling howl made MIN spring out Of
bed.
When the doctor finally went to
sSeep in the wee hours of the morn
ing shaggy yellow head lay on the
pillow beside him.
The following day the doctor dill
gently sought home for his doorstep
baby. but although he waxed more and
more eloquent in mis- description Of
tha dearest. cunningest puppy that
you ever saw" he found the dog mar
ket hopelessly overstocked. And
when he got back to his lonely apart
ments McGinty's enthusiastic well
come pleased him SO that he impuls-
lively decided to keep the youngster
himself. But that evening his deter
mination was shaken by series of
calls from irate neighbors VINO COM
planned against "a pack of howling
dogs" shut up in the building that
day.
There's only one chance for you,
McGnty." sighed the doctor. Folks
may refuse you as gift, but II a
homeless dog is thrust upon them
they'll not let him starve. I'll drop
you In front of some hospitable farm
house."
When the doctor started out the
next morning. a scrubby yellow pup
py sat on the buggy seat beside him;
when the doctor returned in the even
ing the puppy was still there. The
secret Of DR.. .Worth's failure to drop
McGnty was not confided to the out
side w1orld-it lay hidden deep In
The little dogs wistful eyes.
After that. in sunshine and storm,
McGinty accompanied the doctor on
his rounds. While in the village he
always sat, dignity personifled, on
the buggy seat. but when the open
fields were reached. he would "run
out and play" as the doctor called
It. frieking at the mares side, chasing
butterflies. barking at squirrels. Soon
be became the pet Of the county, chill.
dren watching at the windows to give
him treasured bone. while an old
lady patient made him an "overcoat''
for cold weather, and the shoemaker's
standing Joke was the promise of top
boots for Christmas.
But McGinty's general popularity
WAS nothing compared with the grow.
Ing intimacy between him and the
doctor who believed in keeping dogs
IN their place. The last thing every
night the two frolicked together and
every morning . "circus" in bed pre-.
coded the Doctors shaving.
So the request of the child who had
confided McGinty to the doctors door
step was granted. 1.-THE deer doc.
tor" loved McGinty "a hole lot