The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-03-12
BY JOHN BARR (COpyright NOtice)


 hotel shuddered in the blasts but I didn't care. Tn my tone of authority, I proceeded, Now I want you to get together all the medicines of every nature and de- scription that you have in the house and tell me what there is."
 "Yes, doctor" said she, and I could hear her giving directions to the maid. could also hear an occasional groan from William who was evidently in an adjoin- ing room.
 Do you mean everything--in- cluding liniments, doctor?"
 "Yes, everything in bottles. Are you sitting in a chair at the tel ephone?"
 "on Williams Turkish divan, .octor."
 "Is there a table near you large enc i-h to put the bottles on2 l don't want you to go away from the 'phone."
 Marie, push that table over here, please" heard her say, and tn enot me- Excuse me, doc- tor, for a moment-IIl look in and see how William is."
 Back to the wire she said, All right, doctor-William is drowsy, I've closed the door so we can go ahead without disturbing him. Marie has brought out a great collection of bottles-all kinds of medicines and linaments, and evca a bottle of brandy-cherries.
 Put the cherries one side, we'll have Q use 10 rthose," be- gan, land let your maid hand you one bottle at time for you to read me the label. But those that have skulls and bones on-have her take right back where she got them"
 This kept the maid pretty busy for while, until we got rid of all the objectionable bottles; and Williams wife was evidently im- pressed by my caution.
 From the list as she told 1t off to me, I discarded all except but termilk, castor oil, cod-liver oil, and wizard oil--which I selected for the base of the formula, and paregoric, arnica camphor, ipecac, iodine, opodeldoc, witch-hazel and turpentine-which decided to use in various proportions; being confident that this combination would be sufficient to beat the old gold-cure to a frazzle and r:aks a new man of William.
 Having on the table now only the bottles we were going to use, I ordered that bowl be brought with capacity of at least a quart, and placed beside them.
 Would cut-glass salad dish, or Williams silver punch bowl that the Elk gave him, do"
 'Use the silver punch bowl and the ladle to stir with" an- swered.
 With this procured, we began the serious business of pouring portions of the contents of the bottles into the silver punch bo' - giving minute instructions from my end of the wire to Will liam's wife, who, in turn passed it on to the maid; and the table was so near the phone hat I could hear gurgling of cupfuls, half-cupfuls, table-spoonfuls, tea spoCnfuls, and te hand twenty rrop portions. coming out of the bottles and splashing into the punch bowl-until the formula was complete.
 Tow let the maid remove everything from the table except the punch bowl and the brandy cherries"
 Informing me that this had been done. Williams wife added. Poor Marie is so sleepy. doctor. I must send her to bed. We gha'n't need her any more. shall we?"
 With my assurance that the m..id's services might now be flfely dispensed with, I could hear Williams wife speaking kindly to the girl and sending her way.
 I was conscious Of playing . double role in this drama. Though under the dominance Of the '5pisit'-T was personally beeom- ing curious about Williams wife a d her GiiTroundIngs.
 Sl,eculating on the size and ap- pearanee Of the room at the other end of the wire, l guessed that it gas rather large. witb small rugs on s pOlisibel. hardEOod floor. ffo;a alternate clicks of the heels q: '1e maids slippers and ei. lenee's between, aa Kl1e moved abci.t carrying oue her mistress snesFnellOEs.