Evening star., 1934-09-09


lar shoulders and unruly red hair
drove the last nail and stood aside to
admire the neat gilt letters Of the
brand-new sign hanging above the
ONCE door: "Dr. Patrick Reilly,
NJ D."
Red Reilly sighed happily. Nov. II Just
had patient"
There was q tiny, almost imperceptible
scratch In the northeast corner Of the sign.
Red hurried into the tiny wooden structure
which served him as ONCE and quarters and
three-room apartment. He emerged moment
later carrying o can Of black paint and brush.
mounted the stepladder and dabbed ut the sign.
80 absorbed was he In his labor OF love that
he didn't notice the approach Of the long. sleek
limousine ambulance which purred around the
corner and came to o smooth stop at the curb.
Ee was reused BY e nervous masculine voice.
~I say. my good sir. is the doctor tn?"
Red tried to look as dignided as his painta
spattered denim work suit and his unprofes.
siond occupation would permit. T am DR..
Reilly"
The visitor was q slim, faultlessly dressed
young man with corn-colored hair and white
carnation in his buttonhole. He surveyed Red
obviously for a moment through the monocle
In his right eye then turned abruptly to the
ambulance. IT think we had better wait for
DR.. Truax." Under his breath he added, "a
doctor with paint brush in his hand!"
IT WAS then that Dr.. Reilly noticed the
! girl peering out Of the ambulance window.
More calloused males than Red had developed
symptoms Of high blood pressure at the first
sight Of Sally Sellers. Even now there was
something breath-taking about her blond
features, twisted and pale as they were because
Of the pain which afnicted her.
Yet she wasn't whimpering. There was some
thing about the firm set of Sally's chin which
told Red that here was no clinging vine. Her
clear blue eyes withered the monocled man with
o glance.
swat for Dr. Truax, indeedl The office girl
said she expected him in an hour, which very
likely meant he won't be in for three hours at
Seast If you think I'm going to lie here and
suffer patiently the rest Of the afternoon Just
to humor your artistic sensibilties, you're
subject for a padded CELL"
She turned to the white-g -garbed ambulance
attendants. "Get me into that office, boys. and
persuade the painter doctor to climb down OF
his ladder. Even II he saws Of one Of my legs.
! won't mind much, the way feel"
DR.. Reilly hurried into the bath room Of his
apartment He scrubbed his hands, removed
the denims and put on a freshly -starched white
coat. The attendants were Just wheeling the
ambulance cot into the Office when he came out
Of his rooms.
Red felt like o man in the last conscious stages
Of big drunk. His hand trembled pitifully
and his legs were weak and unsteady beneath
him. His first patient-Sally Sellersl Sally
Sellers whose twinkling toes had converted
many o gosh-awful flop into q smashing hit
Sally Sellers, whose liquid voice had created
q mild panic In the ranks Of O radio-crazy
public. Why, this very night she was sched-
uled to open at the Lyric Theater in Careless
Capers." Red, hard-pressed as he was. had
scraped together money for q balcony seat.
DR.. Reilly waddled unsteadily over to the am.
bulance cot. His lips parted in what was in
tended for professional smile. but he knew
what It really was-a silly, self-couscious
Smirk. He reached for the first thing which
caught his eye jar of tongue depressors
He switched on the brilliant white Hight above
Miss Sellers face. "Say, 'Ah,' please" he
croaked.
The patients eyes narrowed to pin points,
her lips set in q grim, contemptuous line. my
ankle is sprained. doctor" she said in o tone
loaded with sarcasm. u doubt II you could
see 1t past my tonsils."
Reds cheeks flushed the fun. rich color Of a
sun-ripened tomato. "Oh, IL beg your par
don"
THE monocled gentleman came trotting over
u nervously. Don't you think we'd best wait
for DR.. Truax. Miss Sellers2 It's plain TO be
seen this fellow"
He turned to Red. belatedly apologetic
"You see, it's most important that this sprain
be treated expertly. One slight bulge might
destroy the perfect-er-contours of Miss
Sellers ankle, jeopardize her drawing power.
People pay to see those fawless ankles Why.
man, Miss Sellers legs are insured for $100 0O0i"
"Win you shut up?" Miss Sellers snorted tn
elegantly II don't care if he's q horse doctor
darling little 100000 legs. Maybe you don't
believe it, Rosy, but o pair Of 100000 ankles
can hurt just as sinfully as those skinny, shape
less things you bounce around on"