The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-07-04
A DOCTORS
STORY
BY WILLARD BRAKEMAN

CtlonerS 10 look out Tor traps set TOT /
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. / found stately man !
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 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 /
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,
be wrote a check and handed it to me
1t was for $50.
BY this time it began to dawn upon
me that | had struck one of those
cases against which / had been warn
ed But l took the check and put it in
my pocket 1t might get me into trou
BILE, but it might be valuable as evi-
dence. The gentleman led me upstairs
to room where a man was holding
young woman down on lounge. She
was struggling to free herself from
him and was hystericaL
-. ~~1,N T,.,. mo,
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 l give her
some soothing remedy.
l 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
a frightened glance and almost Shrek
ed: Don't poison me! I'll do any
thing If you won't poison mer'
Now, / am a believer in physical in
dications, and l consider myself an
adept at interpreting them. If I see
two persons together whom l don't
know and have never seen before can
tell if they are of the same blood. /
can also tell by persons eye whether
he or she is insane. 1 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 a
reassuring voice. Il am physician,
quiet your nerves"
She looked at me searchingly and
anXiously, evidently having felt conf
dent that l had been brought in to
poison her.
81 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 a lunatic"
Drink it." 1 said, holding the glass
to her lips. at won't hurt you and
will do you good
| told her with my eyes what | had
spoken with my voice, and she took
the dose. 1t was really a help to
her in restoring her eauanimity and
lessening the advantage her enemies
If they were such-had over her. Leav-
ing her, | went to a window and, tax
ing out prescription slip, wrote some
thing on it. Then, casting my eyes up
at the ceiling as if in thought, | crum-
oil h. in, Gc+
another slip wrote the prescription
for bread pills, which 1 handed to the
gentleman who had me in charge and
who never took his eyes off me for a
moment. Then l went again to the
young lady and felt her pulse
"Good day." l said, taking her hand
in mine. Don't fear to take the medi-
cine have prescribed for you
In the palm of my hand was the pre-
scription slip l had crumpled, and ]
left it in her palm, she closing hel
hand on 1t. What had written was
81 understand the situation. Leave al
to me. Do what they compel you t.
do without struggling"
From her l turned to my conductor
to whom 1 said that he need not give
her the medicine prescribed unless she
became violent and if she became very
violent before he could remove her Il
send for me. He seemed satisfied
with this and confident that l haG
either been deceived or the fifty dollar
check had stified any suspicious
might have.
left the house and, going to store
near by, telephoned my chum, Charlie
Knowlton, who had gone into law
when / went into medicine, to come t.
me at once For half an hour | watch
ed the house had been In till Charlie
came, then told him the story. and in
half an hour more he had detectives or
| the watch. Charlie rushed off to take
legal means to free the young lady and
succeeded, though | never quite under
stood how he managed it. He told me
| using a lot of Latin words-'de luna
| tico inquirendo,'' "habeas corpus" and
all that-but l knew nothing of what
| he meant.
The case was one of those which
/ happen now and then wherein claim
| ants to an estate attempt to get rid OF
legal heir by claiming him or her t.
be of Hnsound mind and unable tt
| manage property.
Charlie made a fortune by the opera
ton. for he married the heiress, while