The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1912-04-12

49, 80 NtN $500 -
the storm. She liked it when the
stranger gave himself a snake like a
collie dog after a swim. and mum
bled:
Call yourself a doctor and yet run
the risks Of such an exposure! Sore
throat, cold in the head and backache
to pay for this. Say, Doc, It would
serve you blank right IL some OF the
people inside fired a charge of bird
shot at you and drove you OFF. Lands,
but how it does pour!"
Miss Dorothy had heard the man
call himself a doctor, and her thoughts
leaped TO poor old grandma. She
knew the doctors she had telephoned
for, and this was neither OF them.
The case demanded a little boldness
on her part, however. and she adj
Vanced a step or two and asked:
Did | understand you to say you
were a doctor?'
After a jump aside and an exclama-
ton of Good Lord" the man re-
piled:
Il can't make put who you are. but
| am a doctor, driven to shelter by
the storm. If | trespass | I'm ready
to 60"
No, nc | had started to the vii
lage after medicine for my grand
mother when the storm drove me
back. She is suffering with the collie,
and | should call this an act Of Provi-
dence If we could only get Into the
house"
Locked out, Ell? | am a new doc
tor just about to set up practice In
the village, and | have a bag Of rem
edies with me. Let's see what sort OF
a burglar | am, Perhaps one OF my
keys will open the door"
One Of them did, and as soon as he
could throw off some of his outer gar
ments he was ut the bedside of his
patient. Grandma was having a hard
time Of It. Indeed, it was hours be-
fore she was easier, and the two
worked over her now and then, and
now and then had opportunity to talk,
A doctor with his first patient, and a
girl with a grandmother suffering from
to many raw peanuts, don't have to
stand on ice-cold Formally.
When Harry reached the house
from the midnight train he almost
made up his mind that they were
quite chummy. He didn't do any criti,
cizing, however. He loved his grand
mother, was happy her life had been
saved, and he wasn't the kind OF
brother to offer his advice simply be-
carse he had a sister. The only thing
ne did say was after breakfast, and
that was partly to himself:
The ways Of Providence are past
finding out. Those peanuts and that
thunderstorm ma bring me a brother.
in.law."
You need some one to get you
home earlier" was the reply; and
matters rested there.
Grandma heard all about the storm
and the ~proyidential appearance of
DR.. Burnett, and when he called the
next afternoon to see If she had fully
recovered she was very grateful. Mr..
and Mrs. Burbanks were in the room
with the patient and doctor, but that
did not prevent the old lady from say
ing to her son:
James, / thought surely my time
had come, and there was only one
thing that | worried about. You know
what | have often said to you?"
II don't recall 1t at this minute"
was the reply,
why, that we ought to. have a doc
tor in the family. We can't get one
through Harry, but we a through
Dorothy. ! wish you would have a
talk with her today"
Just what the son and his wife
thought, and just how the blushing
girl got out OF the room without fall
ing over the rugs is not recorded, but
this much the historian knows-the
bent forward at just the right
instant to feel grandma's pulse and to
warn her that at her age a person
shouldn't swallow too many wooden
~toothpicks nor eat too many raw tur-
nips lust before going to bed. he
didn't look over-red nor over-pale
when he left the house, half an hour
later.
DR., Burnett became popular in the
village. In driving out that way he
had time to make a call at the
Burbanks' mansion, and after a bit 1t
rather looked as II Miss Dorothy ex-
him about once in so often, but
# was months and months before
erandmother's mind was put at rest.
After saying that she expected the
next attack Of collie to carry her OIL
she said:
THAT is, unless we have a doctor in
he family"
"He-he asked me today if the fam
ily would take him in" was the whis.
pered reply from behind her chair.
And you said the family would
and we willard oh, dear me, | al
most wish | had the collie again and
hearing the angels stunning on
their harps!"
&c Craxyitxy