The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1923-11-08
Pangst in
Exile
BY R HUL
20, 1923, Western Newspaper Union.l

W ASeog ffSSAcAA newspaper OniOii+f
THERE was something queer about
Doctor Pangst everyone in the
small town recognized that. To begin
with, he had the atmosphere of q man
fleeing from justice when he appeared
there five years before.
Then he was queer-looking-clever,
as the town slowly found out, and de-
voted, too, but queer in appearance
and manner. One of those persons
who react badly to their environment,
who are the butt of their schoolfel-
lows and, in mature life, are always
doing foolish or unusual things.
1t didn't take the town long to size
up DR.. Pangst. But the town soon
discovered that whatever he had lone
it couldn't be anything very Dad. So
gradually DR.. Pangst began to get
clients, and at the end of the third
or fourth year he had built up a flour
ishing practice.
Then he became engaged to Marian
Blake, the daughter uf the prominent
lawyer. Marian seemed to work a rev.
olution in Pangst. He held up his
head, he was heard 10 laugh, he be
came almost popular, though a man of
that type never becomes very popular.
Still, men began to speak of Pangst
as a good fellow. Pangst had risen
out of the ashes of his past, whatever
they were.
And then-well, then the State
Medical convention met in town. 1t
was odd, fixing on a little place like
Winterbourne, but there had beer a
disagreement as to the locality to be
chosen, and so W~interbourne was Sc
And when Pangst heard of it
seemed to lose all interest in life.
He was to be married, too, in a few
weeks. Nobody knew what was the
with him at first. Then the
ru-lor spread that he had been guilty
OF malpractice in some other town be-
he fled to Winterbourne. Ru-
NOR spread. Soon we had Pangst an
Pangst was a hunted
criminal.
He had sworn he wasn't going,
wasn't interested, but Marian per-
him that he must. There
we're two or three doctors there who
seemed to know, or TO have heard of
Pangst. Among them was a big,
,oyish fellow named Bruce, who
eemed to take a sort of ~jocular inter
st in Pangst.
He was interested in Marian, too.
convention lasted ten days, and !
y the end of the first week Bruce :
nd Marian were as thick as thieves
ogether. Bruce didn't seem to know .
hat Marian was engaged to Pangst, :
nd Pangst was lying very low in :
hose days. People began to look !
skance at Marian in those days, it
cling so near her marriage, and she
unning round with another man. t
And what exactly happened nobody \
nows. 1t was only the first scene R
lat was photographed upon the gap z
g mouths and staring eyes of Win
'rbourne. Pangst, as has been said, 7,
as lying low, but on the last day of
Ie convention this Bruce and Pangst II
ct in front of the post office.
Bruce caught Pangst by the arm as
: was Sinking away. :,
Hello, Doc!' he cried in a loud n
ice. Been taking out any more q
.es lately, Doc?' -
Pangst turned on him with a snarl, 81
ID there was no difference at all be- ~
zen Bruce's manner toward him and
at of the school bully toward a
laller boy. Bruce looked round into y
e faces of the little crowd and =
eered. And somehow then every ~
e knew hat he had learned Marian -
Is engaged to Pangst and that he y
Is taking it out on him. II
Have you told these people about
at little business at the state hos pc
al?' he asked. "Listen, you folks, M
s Doc Pangst of yours-ever know an
y he ran away to WinterbourneY pl;
oangst's face was deadly white, and to,
was squirming like a rat in Bruce's tiff
ID. mC
He was operating on a patient and TO.
took out the wrong eyel Hawi mi
W p rOared Bruce. &C.
Then Pangst Strengthened himself oil
h a sort of dignity. DO you think Of
necessary to publish that fact,
ctor Bruce?" he asked. tn;
Tartan stepped out of the post of de-.
: She was pale as death. In her wi.
she held a carriage whip.
No, it wasn't necessary-and it's a h;e
> she answered, and brought the viii
b down on Bruce's legs. And again az
again she lashed him, now on the r
now on the face, now on the VI
ly, until the bully was writing.
Now tell those people what you @'
! me-that it's a lie, that you pre-
ded that to drive Doctor Pangst on
Of the hospital, you miserable cow re-
!" commanded Marian. rla
| guess that's so. Some folks can't Pa
e a joke" Bruce muttered, as he
.ged into the crowd. OF
tut Pangst, looking at Marian's mil
knew that he was repaid. Z
per
Bees Do Queer Thipnc pas