Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-06-27
win you be at home this EVENING"


"I'n try to get in about o'clock"
Since / was making my visits and
several patients waiting for me, l
didn't remain very long, making the
engagement for the evening. when I
might have more time, for there was
something about the girl that pleased
me greatly. I was young man then
and unmarried. The only thing that
retarded me in my practice was my
bachelorhood. It's a great disadvan-
tage to a doctor, and was looking for
n wife. Before had been ten min
utes with Miss Pendleton it occurred
to me that if 1 could get girl like that
I'd marry instanter.
had bottle of the tonic proposed
to give my patient on my shelves and
in the evening after my office hours
gave my housekeeper the street and
number to which 1 was going with in
structions if l was wanted TO call for
Mr., not Dr., MacKnigh6 then went
around to visit Miss Pendleton. She
insisted on taking a dose of the tonic
at once
I spent a very enjoyable evening,
fortunately not being interrupted by
call from any of my patients. 1 found
Miss Pendleton very entertaining, and
we were at home in each others COM
pany, for we both had keen sense of
humor. and that faculty. draws persons
! possessing it together.
| 1t required a month for Miss Pen
dleton to go through the bottle 1 had
given her, during which time made
| her semiweekly visits. I laughingly
claimed the right to make them, since
| l was her doctor, whereupon she
| threatened to report me for practicing
! without a diploma or license. She
! fell to calling me DR.. instead of Mr..
| MacKnight, and 1, scolded her for do
ing so, saying she might as well call
me "humbug" and have done with it.
1t was all very funny and delightful.
wished / might play doctor with
some of my more troublesome patients
in the same way.
One evening when called was ad-
mitted by a maid and shown into the
living room, which was but dimlylight
ed sat down to wait for my 'pa-
TENT" as I jocularly. called her. The
dining room was next the living room,
and 1 saw the elder Miss Pendleton
enter 1t, go to sideboard, take up
bottle the exact size and appearance
OF the one 1 had brought her sister,
pour out spoonful of its contents and
swallow it. She went out without hav-
ing seen me, and as soon as she had
gone 1 went to the sideboard and ex-
amined the label on the bottle. 1t was
the article had brought. She was TAX
ing my prescription as we'll as her sis
ter
Was she not taking It instead of
her sister? 1 began to suspect some
thing. When my patient came down
1 said to her:
Have you taken nearly all the
tonic?"
Nearly ALL
Il saw it on the sideboard and no
must have got another bottle, didn't
you:"
mo. Why do you askT'
Because 1 saw your sister taking a
dose just now. If you have both been
taking it it must be like the widows
cruise of oil mentioned in the Bible"
She looked me in the face intently
for a few moments, then burst into d
laugh.
why so merry?" asked.
Il have wished to keep the secret til
Aunt Marian returns, which will be to
morrow. 1 was expecting lots of fur
seeing you meet her. But Aunt Mar
tha's taking that dose in your presence
gives it all away"
"Gives what awayY'
II will explain. Aunt Martha ha.
been ailing for some time. Aunt Mari
an couldn't induce her to call in a doc
tor, so she wrote you to call as a friend
Aunt Marian left the city at O'CLOCK
the day she expected you, and you fel
into the hands Of the person you wer'
to deceive. Aunt Martha came up t.
me much displeased at what her siste
had done and wondering what sh,
= should do in the premises. / was nucl
!, amused, and it occurred to me that i
would be very funny for me to play tn
=, sick sister. l persuaded Aunt Marthi
? TO introduce me as such, and now yol
. know it all except that ] gave you tn
real patients symptoms, and she ha
been taking your tonic. l am happy t
say that it has done wonders for hei
y Her headache and her backache and a
;, her other aches have departed. Aun
= Marian will be ever so much oblige
q to you. she returns tomorrow after
:. noon. You must come and give her a
/. opportunity to thank you.'
= mot IL know myself. I have bee
so badly fooled that l can dispens
y with her Acknowledgements. I'll max
y you pay for this"
a l surely did make. her pay for he
o fun, for made her the wife of PHI!
stefan. That means that she can nevs
g rely on her husband to take her an.
q where, not even to church, for he is jill
a BILE always TO be called. He is not sal
If even in the middle OF the night. 81
gains comfort, however, whenever "
O have friends in to dinner by teliu
IN how she played sick while the 9th,