The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-07-25
A DOCTORS
STORY
By WILLARD BLAKEMAN

utioners to look out for traps set for
me by lawbreakers, for 1t 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.
I had not been practicing long before
l was asked one day to call at GER
tain address. I found a stately nan
sion standing by itself l was admit
ted by an elderly gentleman, whose
dress and appearance was in keeping
with the premises. He led me into
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
do not think it fair to you to ask you
to treat patient without handing you
your fee in advance. and that fee
should be liberal"
Stepping to 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 l had struck one of those
cases against which l had been warn
ed But l took the check and put 1t in
my pocket 1t might get me into trou-
BILE, but it might be valuable as evil
dence. The gentleman led me upstairs
to a room where a man was holding
young woman down on lounge. She
was struggling to free herself from
him and was hysterical
As soon as she saw me she became
more so than ever. My conductor took
me aside and in a low voice told me
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 1 give her
some soothing remedy.
l took 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 it. She looked up at me with
frightened glance and almost shrek
ed: "Don't poison me! I'll do any
thing If you won't poison me!'
Now, 1 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
he or she is insane. looked into the
young lady's eye and saw no evidence
of insanity whatever. Another matter
influenced me-the handsome fee had
received in advance.
Don't fear me-" / said to her In q
reassuring voice. 81 am a physician
and this is a simple soothing draft t.
quiet your nerves."
She looked at me searchingly ant
anxiously, evidently having felt conf
dent that had been brought in t.
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 a carriage. They
are going to shut me up for lunatic.
Drink It," / said, holding the glass
to her lips. "It won't hurt you and
will do you good"
| / told her with my eyes what hat
spoken with my voice, and she tool
| the dose. 1t was really a help t,
her in restoring her equanimity an,
Iessening the advantage her enemies
IL they were such-had over her. Leav
ing her, / went to q window and, TAX
ing out a prescription slip, wrote some
thing on 1t. Then. casting my eyes vi
at the ceiling as If in thought, crum
pied the paper In my fist and takinI
another slip wrote the prescription
for bread pills. which handed to tn
gentleman who had me In charge an,
who never took his eyes or me for
moment Then / went again to tn
young lady and felt her pulse.
"Good day." said, taking her han
in mine. Don't fear to take the med
cine l have prescribed for you"
In the palm Of my hand was the pr
} scription slip i had crumpled, and
left It in her palm. she closing he
hand on It, What had written wal
81 understand the situation. Leave a
to me. Do what they compel you
i do without struggling"
J From her l turned to my conducto
; to whom l said that he need not civ
her the medicine prescribed unless ST
( became violent and II she became veI
= violent before he could remove her
send for me. He seemed Statistic
D with this and confident that / ha
4 either been deceived or the fifty doll'
4 check had stifled any suspicious
might have.
e left the house and, going to stor
E near by. telephoned my chvm, Charii
r Knowlton. who had gone into la
e when went into medicine, to come
e me at once. For half an hour watcl
e cd the house had been In till Charl
p came. then told him the story. and
i half an hour more he had detectives Q
e the watch. Charlie rushed on to tai
e legal means to free the young lady an
succeeded, though I never quite unde
n stood how be managed it. He told m
r usin0 n lot of Latin words-"de lun
:. tieo inauirendo." "habeas corpus al
/ all that-but / knew nothing OF VIII
y he meant.
J. The case was one Of those Whit
d happen now and then wherein clali
g ants TO an estate attempt to get rid
a legal heir by claiming him OF ner