Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1912-06-04

sickroom they ranged themselves on
either side OF the wide bed and stared
at the white counterpaine.
Bemis Blaine was nowhere to be
seen. He had disappeared from his
bed. and there only remained the In.
dentation of his round head In the pill
low and the roughly smoothed counter
pane to suggest his presence.
He cannot have gone far" remark.
ed DIR. Bolster as he climbed into his
little electric runabout and turned to
the open country.
DR.. Pepper followed suit, his little
old fashioned car creaking along be-
hind the rival physicians latest model
machine.
The nurse returned to the sickroom,
worried and anxious. She had taken
great interest in the case of Bemis
Blaine and strong regard had sprung
up between the sick man and the pref
ty nurse
Suppose he should never come back.
Suppose something has happened to
himr groaned Nurse Folk as she made
an examination of the room and house
and discovered that her patient had
escaped with his warmest dressing
gown, golf cap and pair of knitted
bedroom slippers.
While CONSERVATION reigned In the
Blaine household, where the mother
and sisters of the absent Benis ran
distractedly to and fro and the nurse
waited impatiently for the return OF
the doctors, those two rivals were rae
ing each other down the shore road
with apparently little heed to the dis
appearance of their best paying pa
tient.
IF you'll stop zigzagging in front of
me can pass you easilyw roared DIR.
Pepper to the physician in front.
'I'm willing to give your old mouse
trap fair chancew beloved DR.. Boil
ster, turning his machine sharply to
the right-a grave mistake, which he
discovered too late.
Dr. Pepper turned his machine to
the right There was sickening
crash, and then the moon witnessed
two angry doctors glaring at each
other from the wreckage of two ma
chimes.
The first thought that leaped to the
mind of each was the repair bill for
his machine, the second thought was
how to pay it, and the third, a comfort
ing one, was the reflection that Bemis
Blaine was patient whose bill might
be stretched indefinitely.
"HurtT' asked DR.. Pepper reluctant
ly.
mo. You?" DR.. Bolster was equal
ly loath to spend time or sympathy
upon his colleague.
mo. If you'll excuse me I'll hurry
on. l have patient beyond"
$50 have IT, said DR.. Bolster quick.
ly, falling into step beside his rival.
'T've got to look around for Bemis
Blaine, you know" protested DR.. Pep
per. Hes my patient, and he has
escaped from his bed in the delirium
Of fever"
"Delirium tremens" snorted DR.. Boil
ster.
"Sirm
"Fiddler" snapped DR.. Bolster, think
ing of his ruined machine. Il will
leave you, sir. A patient suffering
from an attack of exaggeration of the
liver must necessarily
"Humph. Exhaustion Of the nerves
| 1t would be impossible for Bemis to
get very far from home and, being
weak from Illness and injudicious diet
| ing
DIR. Bolster laughed wildly. why,
| the very animals know enough to
starve themselves when i'll. Now, youI
school, doctor. believes in fattening the
patient, and-what is the natter"
For answer DR.. Pepper beckoned bis
rival toward a dimly lighted window.
| Look he said weakly.
Renview village possessed a Chinese
laundry and part of this laundry was
devoted to the savory preparation and
serving of chop suey and other delecta
BILE Chinese dishes. The calico cur
tain was pushed aside, and within the
| dimly lighted interior of the restaurant
a large man was seated, eating almost
ravenously Of a large plate OF choI
| suey. The man wore a red dressing
gown, golf cap, pair of knitted bee
slippers and sadly needed shave.
Watching him enjoy this meal were
several people.
| The rival doctors pressed theil
noses against the flyspecked pane Of
glass. There were Bemis Blaine's moth
| err and two sisters and the pretty
nurse, the shoemaker from the cornel
and the village constable.
Just then Bemis Blaine pushed bacl
his chair. paid his bill and padded to
ward the door in his knitted slippers.
you're sick man." yelped DIR. Pep
per, leaping at bis late patient.
Man, you've risked your life" criet
DR.. Bolster as he clutched Blaine
hand. He was thinking about hfs bro
ken machine.
"Risked it and won it," retorted Be
mis- Blaine good naturally. 1T be
longs to me, and Nurse Folk here ha
promised to look out for me the res
of my days. Oh, yes, I'm quite vel
| thank you, doctors. If you hadn't dis
agreed and gone of I'd be dosing still
As it is | feel fine as silk. I'll sen
you wedding cards shortly"
AS the two doctors walked down th
street toward their respective home
each one was thinking Of wrecke
machine and of the big bill Their
would be to pay. Somehow each on
felt that Bemis Blaine had oyerreact
ed him, had outwitted him in mar
ner
"Liyerr' snarled DR.. Bolster savage
ly.