The Washington times., 1937-01-27

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ion manifesting a sympathetic in
terest which, thought Elise, was
just what one might expect of
him. She had never met anyone
SO responsive. He was inqulrlng
now if they had called a doctor.
"Oh. no." she replied. Grandpa
always knows what to do when he
has these attacks. I don't know
what causes them. He always
coughs very hard when he has
them, whether he has cold or
not. And he has a lot of trouble
with his feet; shoes too tight. I
wanted him to stay in bed today,
but he says he positively must
go out into the country to see a
boy who broke his leg yesterday"
Grandpa says this boy has the
worst break he ever saw. That's
why he's so insistent on going to
see him. He said it was a Potts
fracture whatever that is" eX-
planned Elise, smiling companion
ably over their mutual ignorance.
"Now you know all about it, don't
you?"
He nodded his head, profoundly,
seeming to pretend wisdom.
"Think your grandfather would
object to giving me a ride with
him out into the hinterland?" he
inquired.
II don't know about that" re-
piled Elise, mentally attempting a
picture of Grandpa's reaction to
such a proposal. "You might hint.
Look! He's just leaving now" She
waved a hand, and the old man
waited for them to approach. An
introduction was effected, her
grandfather delighting her with
his cordiality.
"Mr. Parker has just been say
ing that he envied you your drive
out into the hills" said Elise, Sc
cretly hoping, for Grandpa's sake,
that he would invite Mr.. Parker
to come along, and reproaching
herself for wishing, too, that it
might turn out some other way. It
would be pleasant to ask Mr.. Par
ker in.
After a long moment, during
which the old doctor looked the
newcomer over with an amusingly
frank interest, he told Parker to
hop in, if he didn't have anything
better do.
I'll let you drive, too, if you
like. Dog going along? Very
we'll. Open that rumble . Back
about noon, Elise" It had all
happened very quickly. Mr.. Parker
gave her a canny wink as he
started the little car. She won
dered if he realized what the brief
gesture of comradeship meant to
her.
ever see a broken Lego"
shrilled DR.. Graham, above the
racket, after some desultory talk
about the glorious weather and
various points of local interest
along the road.
"a time or two" Parker ad-
mitted ingenuously.
Make you sick to look at in
juries?"
Parker replied that he presumed
he had an average stomach.
Il may ask you to lend me a
hand, out here. if you don't OBJ
ject. I put splints on this leg
yesterday, but I wasn't very well
satisfied and I may decide to
make a cast for it today. If so,
I'll need somebody to help hold
it in position while I do the
bandaging!
Il can try" agreed Parker oblig-
ingly, IF you're not afraid I'll be
in your Way-or do the wrong
thing"
There won't be any trouble
about that. I'll tell you exactly
what to do. Simple job of leg
pulling. You will take his foot
and pull while I apply the band
ages. They will be wet plaster
and when they dry out-there you
are! Hard as a rock"
Sometimes you X-ray these bad
breaks, don't you, Doctor?" asked
Parker artlessly.
Sure! That's what should be
done, by all means, in this case.
But these worthless Pipers haven't
a dime. They never paid a doctors
bill in their lives. I've attended
the arrival of all the children, and
the total proceeds were a couple
of hams and few gallons of black
berries. I advised the X-ray, of
1 course, just to be doing my duty,
/ but they were against it. They're
as afraid of a hospital as they
might be of a peSt-house. No-in
cases like this, we just do the best
We can and trust to luck and Old
Lady Nature. It's amazing the
recuperative capacity Of the be-
nighted."
TO Be Continued
| (CopyriEht, 1897, by Lloyd C. Douglas,