Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1918-10-25
My Second Med
ical Examination
By ALAN HINSD DALE

- S51S
25th of June and on the 26th started
for a town in the West, intending be-
fore settling down to practice to put
In a couple of months recreation. L
fell in with a party Of tourists, one of
them being Miss Julia McGfegor.
When she discovered that l was a saw
bones, there arose q bond Of sympa-.
thy between us, for she was a daugh-
ter of one Of the most eminent sur
geons in America, and a lecturer in a
medical college.
Preferring the company of these
people, especially Miss McGregor, to-
travelling alone, / chung to them. Where
they went I went. We visited the yell
Iowstone park and other regions of In
terest and when my outing was ended
I pronounced it the most delightful l
had ever experienced.
And well I might, for I had been
falling in love with Miss McGregor,
and she had reciprocated.
It was the middle of September
when, having been referred by her to
her father, / went to ask him for the
hand of his daughter. She rounded
up her outing by a visit to friends In
Chicago, but had written her father
that I would call upon him at the fam
lily home, which was in. a suburban
town near the city Of Philadelphia.
Having boarded the train that was
to take me to my destination, the car
being nearly filed, I took a seat by an
elderly gentleman who was reading
his evening newspaper But he laid 1t
on his lap soon after the train started
and gazed out of the window. l adj
dressed him, asking him how far my
station was from the city. he In
formed me very courteously, and told
me he lived there. Then I told him l
was going to call upon Doctor Nc
Gregor, and asked hin how l could
find the doctors residence. He told
me he knew Doctor MacGregor very
we'll and gave me the necessary direc-
tons.
While conversing with the gentle
man / told him that I was a newly
made M. D. I said I thought that l
had an advantage over older doctors
In that I had learned the latest discov-
cries in medicine.
NY auditor listened to me attentive
iy, occasionally asking me my opinion
as to the merits of a%ntitoxins for va
rious diseases that were well known
to the layity and / answered him In
such language as would be understood
by a layman, carefully avoiding medi-
cal terms. Whenever I was obliged to
use scientific nomenclature he did not
ask me to define the word used, nor
did he at any time show a want OF
comprehension.
Before our journey vas half ended
he had asked me a number of these
questions that / could not answer, and
finally said that he did not see from
my replies that the doctors just grad
uated knew any more than those who
had been long in practice, and he did
not think that doctors knew much,
anyway, whether young or old. 1 was
angered at this, and retorted that
whether or no doctors were ignorant
of their profession, they knew more
than the 1aity. do you look upon
your fellow citizen, Doctor MacGregor,
as an ignoramus? 2" I added.
"What he knows" was the reply,
sis as a grain of sand to a whole sea-
coast to what he doesn't know"
At this point the trainman called our
station and we left the car together.
The gentleman cooled my wrath by in
viting me to ride with him in his mo-
torcar to the home Of my father-in-law
in prospect, and I accepted his invi-
tation. We entered a beautiful car
which was in waiting, and were driven
away by a uniformed chauffeur. My
companion telling him to stop at a
certain house by the way. On reach
Ding this house, the former pointed to
a handsome place not far distant as
Doctor MacGregor's, saying the doctor
usually came up on the train we had
travelled on and If he was not at home
he would be very soon.
The maid who answered my sum-
mons at Doctor MacGregor's said that
she expected the doctor very soon and
1 sat down to wait for him. In a few
minutes who should enter the room
but my companion on my trip from
the city.
I was staggered. Why should he be
there? He approached me with an
amused but kindly smile, saying:
"Well, my boy, I'm sorry to have an
gered you, but it is the only revenge I
could inf1ict upon a man who is about
to rob me Of the greatest treasure I
possess"
"You-you are Doctor MacGregorY
] gasped.
IT am. I took occasion, ~incognito, to
draw you out on various subjects.
Now you may put your best foot for
ward, and make yourself appear the
marvel my daughter has described
you"