El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-12-08
Helen Goes to the Dentist
and Warren Is There to Give
Her Courage.
r. H. II. FIREMAN. Surgeon
Dentist" read the lettering on

ID Dsa nj. t read if the istts aGass ."
the ground glass. As Helen
opened the door. a bell rang shriIly I'M
til she entered and closed il after her
For a moment she stood uncertainty
In the little reception room. Then the
doctor, white-coated and with an in
strument in his hand, appeared at his
office door.
"Oh, good afternoon, Mrs. Curtis. I'll
see you in just a few minutes I'm not
quite through vet"
Helen took a chair by the table and
turned over the several months old
magazines. There were a number Of
humorous Weeklies. much thumbed,
among them. Evidently people who
were waiting for the dentist did not
care for any heavier literature than
that offered Dy a comic paper.
The peculiar Odor Of mingled drugs
and antiseptics that Is always part OF
the atmosphere of a dentists office
farce down that Tutoring, tremulOus
feeling that this OdOr and the nearness
to the dental chair always brought.
She dreaded il so! Her teeth were
peculiarly sensitive. The least work
on them hurt her cruelly-and she
shrank from pain with all the horror
OF a child. And today there were TO
be two filings and one tooth drawn
hAc as ~ lake 6d5 4UL the EANLaE-
ton, and Warren a promised TO come
up at 4.3O to be with her then. 1t
was a quarter Of four now and the work
was to be done on the filings until
Warren came.
From the other room now came a
moan and a Woman's voice: "Oh, doc
tor-don'ti OH OH"
Then the doctors voice: Hold still
noW-Just a second longer. There
now this won't hurt"
The moan had not helped to soOthe
Helen's own Quivering nerves. she
tried 10 keep her mind on the comic
paper, but she read one OF the jokes
three times without realizing what IT
said. IT was a midsummer number
How strange the jokes Of a midsummer
magazine seem in midwiuter! There
were the usual squibs about the ice
man, the scanty bathing suit and the
summer WidoWer.
Now that.s all today" came the
doctors voice. IF that cotton filling
it's better left IN"
Then Tuesday at ten I think you
said2" asked the wOman
Helen's heart beat faster. She knew
now he would soon be ready for her
The woman came through, put on her
wraps which were lying on a chair
beside Helen, and hurried out.
Now, Mrs. Curtis" and the doctor
appeared nee more at the door. Helen
went in, laid aside her a and got
into the chair. s the sight Of the
shining Instruments made her sick
with fear. She could hear him washing
his hands behind the screen
Well were getting a real touch OF
winter today" he remarked c~heerfully.
It is a prevailing belief among den
lists and physicians that some com
monplace remark end to distract the
patients thought, when as a rule IL
irritatas them by the very ObviOusness
Of its intention
Helen leaned back and closed her
eyes while with brisk Indifference he
made ready his instruments.
Now just a moment. please as he
quickly adjusted a rubber shield in
her mouth Just a little wider
there"
For half an hour he wOrked on the
filling. Except for an occasional moan
Helen made no cutlery. But her hands
were cIenched tight on the arms Of her
chair and her feet braced rigid1y
against the footrest.
DE-. Fireman was most conscientious
and painstaking in his work, and while
he made every effort to minimize the
pain. yet his manner was not sympa-
thetic. And now as the instrument
touched a nerve, with a sttfled cry Hell
en- put up her hand
Don't do that" he warned her cold
". Don't catch my hand or you'll
the instrument slipl'
And again Helen clenched the arms
of the chair, every nerve taut under
the intense pain. Desperately she tried
TO think Of something 10 help her. Then
she recalled what she had once been /
was the greatest Of All helps IN a
dental chair-tO try to realize how lit ,
tie was really being done That it is