The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-07-17
A DOCTORS
STORY
By WILLARD BLAKEMAN

When / first set up my single as
physician was told by the older prac-
titioners to look out for traps set for
me by lawbreakers, for it is the mex
perienced doctor who is called upon to
aid them, they knowing very well that
an old bird Is not to be caught with
chaff
had not been practicing long before
was asked one day to call at a GER
tain address. I found a stately man
sion standing by itself / was admit
ted by an elderly gentleman, whose
dress and appearance was in keeping
with the premises. He led me into a
reception room and said to me:
Doctor. you have come some dis
lance and at the call of one unknown
to you. Under the circumstances l
do not think it fair to you to ask you
to treat a patient without handing you
your fee In advance. and that fee
should be liberal"
Stepping to a little mahogany desk,
he wrote check and handed it to me-
1t was for $50.
BY this time it began to dawn upon
me that 1 had struck one OF those
cases against which I had been warn
ed. But / took the check and put it In
my pocket It might get me into trou-
BILE. but it might be valuable as evil
dence. The gentleman led me upstairs
to a room where man was holding a
| young woman down on lounge. She
was struggling to free herself from
him and was historical
AS soon as she saw me she became
more SO than ever. MY conductor took
that she was insane and he was In
tending to take her TO a retreat for
such patients. She had been so VIC
| lent that he feared she would injure
| herself and desired that / give her
| some soothing remedy.
/ took a small vial from my medi-
cine case, dropped some of its con-
| tents In a glass Of water and, ap-
| preaching the young lady, told her to
drink 1t. She looked up at me with
q frightened glance and almost shrek
ed: Don't poison me! I'll do any
| thing if you won't poison mer'
/ Now, am believer In physical In
dications, and / consider myself an
adept at Interpreting them. If see
two persons together whom don't
know and have never seen before can
tell IL they are Of the same blood.
can also tell by persons eye whether
-r<>S f,.~,r J<,>T 4~-Ao ~.
young lady's eve and saw no evidence
Of insanity whatever. Another matter
influenced me-the handsome fee had
received In advance.
"Don't fear me-. I said to her In Q
reassuring voice. 81 am a physician
and this is simple soothing draft to
i quiet your nerves"
i She looked at me searchingly and
anxiously, evidently having felt conf
dent that had been brought i'm to
poison her.
Il don't need anything to soothe me, >
she said, IF they'll only let me go
They took me from my home and
brought me here In carriage They
are going to shut me up for lunatic.'
i Drink it, I said, holding the glass
to her lips. ct won't hurt you and
viii do you good
| I told her with my eyes what / had
spoken with my voice, and she tooh
the dose. It was really q help te
her In restoring her equanimity and
lessening the advantage her enemies
IL they were such-had over her. Leav
ing her, l went to window and, TAX
ing out prescription slip, wrote some
thing on 1t. Then, casting my eyes ur
at the ceiling as if in thought, I crum
pied the paper In my fist and takins
another slip wrote the prescription
for bread pills, which I handed to The
Il gentleman who had me I'm charge an6
4 who never took his eyes or me for {
moment. Then / went again to thu
| young lady and felt her pulse.
Good day" / said, taking her hant
4 In mine. Don't fear to take the medi
cine have prescribed for YOU"
i In the palm Of my hand was the pre-
| scrfption slip had crumpled, and
left it In her palm, she closing he
hand on 1t. What 1 had written was
i Il understand the situation. Leave a
to me. Do what they compel you t
do without struggling"
| From her I turned to my conductor
i to whom I said that he need not Civ
n her the medicine prescribed unless sh
became, violent and IL she became yer
q violent before he could remove her
send for me. He seemed satisfies
Il with this and confident that ha'
q either been deceived or the fifty dolla
check had stif1ed any suspicious
might have.
left the house and, going to stor'
near by. telephoned my chum, Charli
J Knowlton. who had gone into Law
when / went into medicine, to come +
me at once For half an hour watch
!. ed the house I had been In till CharH
came, then told him the story. and II
half an hour more he had detectives OF
the watch. Charlie rushed of to TAX
legal means to free the young lady AM
succeeded, though never quite under
stood how he managed it. He told me
using lot of Latin words-"de luna
tico inquirendo." .shabeas corpus an,
!. all tflat-but / knew nothing Of wha
IL be meant.
The case was one OF those whicl
happen now and then wherein claim
ants to an estate attempt to get rid o
4 lecal heir by claiming him or her &
re of unsound mind and unable 3
manage property.
Charlie Inade fortune by the opera
ton. for he married the heiress, WIN
ia J.