The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-07-10
EVENING STORY
In Spite of Themselves.
CBy c. B. Lewis.)

When a medical student has re-
ceived his diploma, and has been pro-
nounced fit to go out into the world
and doctor ailing humanity, or take
off leg or an arm, his struggles have
just commenced. He has little or no
money. He must have an office, and
he must have patients. A doctor may
be ever SO good, but unless he has pa
tients he is no better to himself and
the public than as if he were a mere
hitching post.
Geoffrey Randolf had his diploma
and had his office, but he lacked the
patients. His office was the front room
of a boarding house. 1t didn't have
any oriental rugs, nor marble fire.
places, but it had to do. The main
thing was the sign beside the front
door. 1t announced that Godfrey
Randolf was a physician and surgeon
and that his Office hours were so and
so. When the sign was in place the
graduate had done all he could do.
OF course, like all the rest of his class,
he hoped that an epidemic of grip
would visit the city. There might be
and there should be several thousand
cases of measles and whooping cough
amcng the children. They were good
ailments to begin with, and they
would at least bring in the money.
None of these things took place,
however. A sudden wave of health
seemed to spread over the city, and
day after day, and week after week,
DR.. Randolf sat in his office biting his
finger nails, or walked the streets. He
was out walking one day almost in
hopes that street car might run over
somebody and give him a job at surgi-
cal work, when an auto drove up to
the curbstone, near which 1t had halt
ed for moment. A handsome young
lady began rather hurriedly to de-
scend. Her skirts seemed to catch in
the door in such way that she
would have fallen face downward on
the sidewalk but for the doctor. If
he had let her fall there would have
| been patient for him, but he didn't
let that thought hold him back He
| sprang forward and caught her in his
arms, saved her from a bad fall. and
received the incest kind of smile and
a few grateful words as his reward
OF course, these wouldn't pay his
| board bill and his office rent but still
ne felt a warm glow in his heart as
| he moved on.
Such incidents happen every day in
the city, and Dr.. Randolf soon almost
forgot it. Perhaps it was so with Ma
rogers, the young lady in question
| nut 1t cannot be vouched for Durine
the next two weeks the doctor had
one patient. She was an old woman
| who was deaf in one ear She had
been so for twenty-seven years, hut
as new doctor had come into tbf
ne1ghborhood, she thought he might
effect cure. The ear was examined
and no help could be extended, and
there was no money to pay. After
the patient had gone the doctor wen
out for one of his usual walks Hi.
feet carried him into the park, ant
he hadn't gone far before he remark.
ed two particular things. There wa.
nice young lady seated on a bench
feeding the squirrels, and there wa:
a pair of runaway horses coming
along the drive at a furious pace
There was a chance and a pretty ever
one that they would cross from tht
drive to the path, and that the youns
lady would be in danger. The doctor
forgot the old woman with the dea
ear ran forward, and seized tht