Evening star., 1924-11-23
I

chair would permit; placed
one leg across the straight
oak chair reserved for pa
tients; brushed Il thinning
fringe of grayish hair back from his
forehead; fumbled first in one baegy
pocket for his pipe and in the other
for A ble-looking tobacco
pouch; scratched Il match on the side
of the chair, where several thousand
like strokes might have been counted
If the human eye were keen enough,
and sagged down into utter comfort.
Across from him on the worn
leather couch that stood against the
wall were the doctors two dearest
possessions: one was the bulging,
rusty satchel, still stout, although
his hand had grippeda it in every evil
emergency of the flesh that had arisen
in New Salem in the last 80 years;
the other was Chevy, the Scotch col
lie, who. for as long as the younger
people of the town remembered, had
been inseparably connected with the
rusty satchel and it's owner.
who's sick down at Lawson's?'
one townsman would inquire of an
other.
Il don't know. Is anybody?"
Must be. l saw Chevy waiting on
the porch"
In sleet and in sunshine. in August
and in December. by night and by
day. Chevy Went with his master on
his ministering rounds. If it was a
town call ho followed him, not as
other carc-free dogs. frisking cir
cuitously, but trotting soberly with
the dignity a professional dog would
show. On country visits he rode on
the wide seat of the battered car,
which had accomplished the impos-
sible on every unimproved road in
the neishborhood, the rusty satchel
between him and the doctor. And
to be, he waited patiently on guard
until the other two of the trio
emerged from the house.
Usually a t such moments the doc
tors greeting was cheerful: "All
right Chevy. OF we go again At
which the dog would jump joyously
upon him and circle round the car
in the sheer delight of companion
ship.
Occasionally. however. the doctor
came from a house slowly and did
not speak until they were back in
tho car. I'm beaten, old man. | did
my best, but I'm beaten he would
say, heavily. And Chevy would lick
the hand on the wheel and then
watch him with large, brown, under
standing eyes
his pipe he looked across at Chevy,
one of whose eyes still opened in
quiringly in his direction now and
then above hrown-and- white paw,
and hoped that there would be no
Interruptions.
There were two good rca sons why
the doctor spent his leisure evenings
in his office. In the first place, it
gave the population of New Salem.
Il. a l..
q chance to drop in and chat A few
minutes preliminary to requesting
some headache tablets for the
missus," or "a bottle of cough medi-
cine for the boy In the second
place, Jane, the doctors SISTER, who
kept house for him in the rambling
frame ediice adjoining the office. did
not approve of Chevy in her dust
proof sitting room. and the two re-
fused to be separated.
The doctor leaned his head against
the back of the chair. inha ling the
pungent blend of tobacco and drugs.
aWeetly familiar to his nostrils, and
wondered drowsily just what tidbits
of the towns dongs Jane would
bring back with her from the church
social. Jane was certainly a master
hand at gathering gossip. The doe
tor always listened attertively and
)
which he had long trained himself,
discrsetly forgot all about il.
j; x x =
LIE woke with James entrance, the
office door banging behind her.
He reused himself. while Chevy was
retreating to the corner and removed
his feet from the chair.
"Why, Jane, you seem excited.
What's the news this time?
News" James voice rasped out
We'll. l think there is news, though
il seems were the last people in
town to hear it. I've thought there
couldn't get the truth out of anybody
until tonight. Who do you suppose
has rented the old Lane house?"
"tiive it up" said the doctor mildly,
feeling around for his pipe.
"h new doctori" Jane almost Kissed.
'And he's coming next week.:
The pipe ratified to the floor
"A-a WHAT" the doctor gasped.
Yes, sir, new doctor. Some young
upstart just out of A university. He
began practicing in the city, it seems,
and then had a nervous breakdown
or something, so he's coming to the
country. 1t was Joe Best. from Somer-
Vile, that told him about New Salem,
and ] think Joe Best might have
minded his own business. What are
you going to do about it?'
"Well.' the doctor said slowly. with
his dry smile. unless you have some
thing better to suggest, I'll just let
him come
And to this remark the doctor re-
fused to add, either in the way of
question or comment, as he closed
the office, went into the house. estab-
lished Chevy in his usual place in the
front hall, so that he could give his
barking summons as soon as the door
hell rang. and went on up to his own
room.
Once there he sat down heavily