Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1909-1915, 1909-12-17
DR., PRETT|YMAN'S
!. SOUP. !. i: D F La
BY CT. PIONEER.

brain diseases and visiting surgeon at
q hospital. --- /
F. AT one of these visits the regular
house surgeon was temporarily alb
sent DR.. Prettyman was sitting in the
medical office, waiting for him, when
a nurse entered and told him that
patient who was considered almost
cured and had been given the post of
cook was acting strangely. Would the
doctor go down and see him? The doc
tor went to the kitchen and the nurse
to a patient who especially required
his attention.
DR.. Prettyman found the cook alone
in the kitchen. Indeed, be had driven
every one else out. He was a large.
muscular man, and it did not need the
doctors practiced eye to see the light
Of insanity in his eye. He was stand
Ing over large boiler which was
filed with steaming soup.
Doctor" said the lunatic, come
here and taste this soup. fear it LIS
not Favored right"
The doctor hesitated q moment, won
dering If he had not better call assist
ance. then concluded to humor the pa.
tient. he went to the range. In which
there was very hot fire. The cook
ladled out some soup, and the doctor
tasted 1t, burning his tongue.
"Itsf2 all rirht !" no said
But, doctor. I don't think there's
meat enough In 1t. It's too thin. l
Should nave more stock for it. but I
haven't. The steward is stingy with
his supplies. BE gives me nothing, lit
orally nothing. with which to feed all
the mouths In this vast house. He's
putting all the money they give him
for provisions in his pocket. wish
had him here. I'd chop him into bits"
Selling a cleaver, he brandished 1t
over the doctors head. then went on
excitedly: p !:
There's got to be more stock for
this soup. and where is it to come
from? l have it. You'll do. doctor.
You'll do first rate. Your bones are
small, but there's marrow in them.
and your flesh is meaty, not fat"
He made step toward the DOCTOR.
It might be expected that the dapper
physician would shrek for help. He
knew only too well that this would ex-
cite the patient and before assistance
could arrive the big cook would be
chopping him up into soup stock. He
kept his eye fixed steadily on the pa
tent.
do you want your soup to retain
its flavor?' he asked. -. :p...
Certainly do" L.,
"And don't want it to taste Of asa
fetida?'
| "Of course not"
"And paragoric."
'No."
| The doctor went through With list
Of medicines. keeping his eye on the
door. hoping that some one might hap
pen in. But he was disappointed.
Those whose place was In the kitchen
purposely Kept out, and others had 10
occasion to go there. At last the doc
tor was constrained to conclude.
"Well. If you don't want your soup
to taste Of these drugs I'd better get
rid of my pocket medicine case which
contains them ALL
Ee spent az much time as he dared
fumbling for his case. the cook grow
ing impatient the while. then took it
out. opened it. extracted one or two
corks. smelled of the bottles and put
one Of them under the cooks nose. 1t
contained ether. But the doctor knew
very we'll that be couldn't put the luna
tic asleep with ether unless he could
hold it over his mouth and nose he
hoped to quiet him and to gain time.
The cook thought it would improve
the soup and with wild laugh poured
the contents into the caldron. stirring
it with the ladle. Then he turned
again to the doctor and seized him by
the arm. -
"Hold on a bit" said the doctor.
"Here's something else"
He took vial from his case marked
Choral
''Taste that" he said, handing it to
the cook.
The cook took swallow.
"Fine, isn't it?'' asked the doctor,
breathing Sigh of partial relief
The cook turned, threw the bottle
into the soup. then. again Selling the
doctor, lifted him, despite his efforts.
on to table used for cutting meat.
Then the maniac looked about for his
cleaver, which he had laid aside while
davoring the soup, The doctor, white
as chalk. watched him, dreading that
he might retain consciousness long
| enough TO make one chop. The cleaver
was within. reach. .but the cook did
not see It. He put his hand to his
head. reeled and sank to the floor. :,
The doctor got down from the table,
went ont Of the kitchen. touched an
alarm bell and went back to the In
sensible cook. In d moment several
attendants came flying into the room.
| and when the cook came TO himself he
was IN a straitJacket sin an upper
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