The Sauk Centre herald., 1913-07-24

| OF coffee. I also have good deal OF
, trouble with my back. What do you
suppose is the matter with me?"
You need something to bolster you
| up You're below par. | was affected
| that way last spring, and l went to a
| druggist and said. 4 want some kind
/ of hOSphateS-One Of those made up
, prescriptions He showed me a lot OF
them. with what they were printed on
whole bottle. 1t brought me right up. y
do tell me what it is.
II can't exactly remember the name,
but I'll look at the bottle, which
have at home. and bring you some
of it,
I'm ever so much obliged. When
will you bring it?'
Twill you be at home this evening?'
Certainly"
"I'll try to get in about 8 o'clock"
Since l was making my visits and
several patients waiting for me,
didn't remain very long. making the
engagement for the evening, when
might have more time. for there was
something about the girl that pleased
me greatly. | was IL 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 l was looking for
a rx,ifn hnI mi,
utes with Miss Pendleton it occurred
to me that if 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 was wanted to call for
Mr.. not Dr., MacKnight, 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 a
call from any of my patients. l 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 month for Miss Pen
dleton to go through the bottle had
given her, during which time I made
her semiweekly visits. l laughingly
claimed the right to make them, since
I was her doctor, whereupOn she
threatened to report me for practcing
without a diploma or a license. She
fell to calling me DR.. instead of Mr..
MacKnight, and I scOlded her for do
ing 80. saying she might as well call
me ''humbug' and have done with It.
1t was all very funny and delightful
I wished might play doctor with
some Of my more troublesome patients
In the same way.
One evening when called I was ad-
mitted by a maid and shown into the
living room, which was but dimly light
ed. 1 sat down to wait for my pa
tient," as I jocularly called her. The
dining room was next the living room,
and I saw the elder Miss Pendleton
enter it. go to a sideboard. take up a
bottle the exact size and appearance
of the one l had brought her sister,
pour out spoonful Of it's 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 1 had brought She was TAX
ing my prescription as we'll as her sis
ter.
Was she not taking it instead Of
her sister? l began to suspect some
thing. When my patient came down
I said to her:
Have you taken nearly all the
tonic?"
Nearly ALL"
81 saw it on the sideboard and no.
ticed that it was nearly all gone. You
must have got another bottle. didn't
you?"
'No. Why do you askY
Because I 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 few moments. then burst into a
laugh
"Why so merry?" l asked.
II have wished to keep the secret till
Aunt Marian returns, which will be to-
morrow. I was expecting lots of fun
seeing you meet her. But Aunt Mar
tha's taking that dose in your presence
gives it all away"
"Gives what away?'
81 will explain. Aunt Martha has
been ailing for some time. Aunt Mari
an couldn't induce her to call in doc
tor, so she wrote you to call as friend.
Aunt Marian left the city at o'clock
the day she expected you, and you fell
into the hands Of the person you were
to deceive. Aunt Martha came up to
me much displeased at what her sister
had done and wondering what she
should do in the premises. was much
amused. and it occurred to me that it
would be very funny for me to play the
sick sister. I persuaded Aunt Martha