News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1913-04-30
A DOCTORS
STORY
By EDWIN CONSTABLE, j..

phone how he came to call upon me
and he could give no reason. But b,
said there was young girl there whC
had received an injury and If he coult
not get doctor for her soon he feareC
she would die. He had called up sew
era doctors and all had refused Il
come.
"For heavens sake, DOCTOR" he add
ed don't leave us with a dying wo
man on our hands. Well pay wha
we camp
lived on a street which, though Il
was eminently respectable. was MOI
far distant from district which was
quite the reverse. | decided to walk
rather than take out my chauffeur, who
had driven me a good deal late al
night recently and was tired out.
The man at the phone had given me
the street and number. and as pro
ceeded | saw that / was in the worst
part of the town. The house itself
was neither good nor bad, the worst
! thing about it being its surroundings
] hestated for a moment, then rang
the bell A woman came to the door
and noticed that instead of hurrylng
me to the sickroom she looked out
through the open doorway to see
whether | had come by conveyance.
Did you walk, doctor?" she asked.
Yes Why do you wish to know
| that?"
"Oh, nothing. Most doctors go
! about in automobiles nowadays"
This interest in how l had come in
creased my suspicious, especially since
the call had been so urgent. AS
the rear | noticed that there was little
OF no furniture in the house. Indeed,
il vas what we call vacant, and the
people in it had come into it for
purpose. What that purpose was
could only conjecture If it was to
rob me | had no arms with which to
defend myself.
As soon as | had entered the room
! saw that | had not been called to
visit patient, The only furniture in
b
there, and the woman who had admit
TED me remained without. locking the
door The two men looked me over
without saying anything.
Where is the patient?" l asked.
There is no patient here" replied
one of the men. What we want is
money. Write us check on your
bank for $1,000, and tomorrow after
we have drawn the amount we will let
you 60"
And if | refuseT
The spokesman shrugged his Shout
dals, and the other man felt some
thing inside the shabby coat be wore
which | supposed to be knife.
knew that all this was to terrify me.
4 haven't $1,000 in bank" said.
My balance is little over 5000. if |
Hmember correctly. | will give you
check for $500"
The men withdrew to a corner
where they held a conSulta ton in
whispers. Presently they came to me
and said that if | would make it sure |
they could get the money on the check |
they would accept the amount, and | |
wrote note to friend Of mine |
asking him to draw the funds and |
give them to the bearer of the check.
This satisfied them. and there seemed
nothing to do but for me to sit on the
nckety chair till the next morning and
as much longer as was needed for my
aptors to get safely away.
One of the men went out; the other
remained with me. | chatted with him
for awhile, apparently making the
best of the situation. Suddenly sniff
ed the air suspiciously
There's ozone in this ROOM" | said,
a1 Getting to be much frightened. If
there was anything in the air it was
no. ozone; it was rather the want of it.
What's that" asked the man.
Have you got ozoneg" | asked the
man, approaching him and shifting the
liT as did so, Then. putting my nose
70 his sleeve, ! added: You have it.
-eE me get out of here. don't want
70 lie with you"
ne man looked at me, evidently
frightened. and asked,
" nat is it, doctor?
DO you know what leprosy is?'
Yes"
Wei, ozone is a similar disease.
hough it works much quicker. In
wO weeks you will be dead man"
He turned pale. but kept enough
erve to look at me with an inuuirina
LANCE that | knew was to determine
~ sincerity.
Let me out" | repeated. 1.-THE dis
ase is contagious" | kicked furiously
D the door. The other man came in h
learn what was the matter / told
i'm his friend mad disease that
oud carry him off possibly in few
lys, and if he didn't get away from
he would come down with it him.
If. ! persisted till had got them
ightened. Then they asked if | z
,uld not cure the disease. [ told =
lem there was an antidote. but |
ould have to go for it.
Following up my advantage. I made
] agreement with them that they
ould surrender my check and call
a whole n fair off if I would rive ,,,,, |