The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1914-04-20
Daily Short Story
PROFESSIONAL ADVICE.
BY LOUISE ALICE KNOX.

eS LOUISE ALICE KNOX.
When the eminent nerve specialist.
DR.. j. Mead Ferguson. opened the Of
nee door and stepped into his waiting
room he experienced a decided shock.
There. sitting among the other pa
tents. was his wife
~Mollyi" he cried in suppressed
amAezment. starting forward. ~what's
the matter-feel sick"
The anxiety In his face changed 60
an expression of utter blankness at
her answer.
Good morning. DR.. Ferguson, No
I'm no sicker than these other patients
i can walt my turn very easily"
Wait your turn" he repeated the
phrase dazedly. lie stared down into
Mouy's calm face with gasping mere
dulity.
Molly. what does this mean" he
demanded under his breath.
But he received only a smile for
answer
Plainly. Molly did not intend TO CT.
plain her strange visit until her turn
came After a moment of waiting. Or.
ferguson turned and beckoned the pa.
tent next IN line.
AS he took the nervous patient into
the inner office and began a test OF
her neart ne puzzled over the cause OF
Its the newspaper work" he de
cded finally. She thinks she'll get
around me by pleading nervous condi-
tons brought on because she can't
have her own way. oh. you sly little
Yet, though il amused him to see
the girls clever slyness. his will was
as firmly set as ever against the idea
or Moily's taking up newspaper work
Not only would her social friends hold
up their hands In horror at such a
move; a step of that sort would re-
49, n. H. a n.
j. Mead Ferguson had TO work.
So when Molly at last came into the
| inner Office and took the chair by the
great nat-topped desk. although her
husbands eyes twinkled at the en-
tirely feminine method 10 get around
him. he showed in every line OF him
an iron opposition.
Case Of nerves because you can't
do newspaper work." he anticipated
her smilingly.
Molly's hands dropped Imply into
her lap. She looked long and re
proachfully into his amused face.
Il thought you could do for me as
much as you do for other patients
hear them out with an unpreJudiced
MINDFUL ] see that YOU can't" she
said sadly. II guess I'D better go"
Come. sit down again and Ill treat
you as a patient" he said, leniently.
why. OF course. I'll treat you as a
treat other patients, If you want me
to--as If / couldn't do that much for
my wife, This shall be just a pro
fessional visit If you wish IL. II was
mean of me to take that stand"
1T was" she said simply. sitting
down again. II mean to pay you for
this. | want IL to be real profes-
sional call For. although It may not
seem TO YOU that | have nerves. |
have, oh, I've been miserable for
/ weeks"
DR.. J. Mead Ferguson settled him
! self back in his swivel chair. He put
his ingertips together as he did when
/ other patients sat opposite him. and
tried to imagine that the beautiful
I troubled girl in the big chair was not
his wife at all. but an absolute
I stranger
You've been feeling miserable" he
| repeated judicially. We'll. that Ger.
/ tainly looks like nerves. Nerves are
I the result OF worry"
Without looking at Molly, he knew
/ that she had Strengthened and was
noting thankfully that he meant 10
/ deal with her impersonally.
Now. what are you worrying about,
I Mrs. Ferguson? There must be a cause
/ for your worry"
} He congratulated himself on his
self-control; i had taken no small eff
I fort to say Mrs. Ferguson."
To his surprise Molly Jumped TO her
! feet and began to pace the floor.
/ Seeming to forget him entirely. she
passed up and down before his desk
His eyes took on a shade OF alarm as
he noted that her hands were
clenched and her step had that cat
like clinging quality which he had
seen only in extreme cases OF nerves.
He leaned forward and stared at
her IN surprise. Had he. then, been
blind TO this side OF his wife? WSs
she in reality a more highly strung
creature than he had always believed?
."Oh. I've always worried" she
she cried vibrantly. seemingly 20 her
self i remember when IL first be-
gan. That was years ago-when
was Is. I wanted To teach music
then. I had studied and studied with
that hope in my heart ] wanted TO
spread beauty in the world BY help
ing other girls 70 express their feel
ings In music. This seemed to me
the most beautiful thing one could do.
! saw no shame in teaching. I don't
see any now! But my mother forbade
IL. She seemed to find some disgrace
in this manner Of spreading beauty in
the world
And so" she ended bitterly. INV
dreams were frustrated. Ny ambition