e. The doctor asks his wife to keep a close watch on the telephone for a littl

. She knows perfectly well that there is a listening ear at the other end of the line. But you cannot convers

answered instead of the doctor, and therefore kept silent. She smiled and hung up the receive

, "What is it?" She would wait a perceptible instant and then say distinctly and pleasantly, "Doctor Blank will be out of the office for about twenty m

ephonic puzzles. One day during Dr. Blank'

he doctor. What must I do with it?" It was

at it is, or wh

. Slocum, who is in Cincinnati. He telegraphed

r. Brown's office and as

telegram came into her mind. "I wonder if

ice. "Did you fi

he was

ve the mess

he too

e went ri

aid he wo

exclaimed Mary,

he was in all probability dr

arrive at. The doctor may be ri

om Dr. Brown's office, but nobody answered. S

age and the sick wife. Suddenly she thought of something-the Slocum children were in school. The mother had not been able to get to the 'p

o dinner. I think she may have been too ill to go to t

rig

n't tell her anything about the telegram. Think up some e

minutes the expe

topped, Mr

did yo

hatchet close t

luc

to ask if it

s i

it wa

old yo

e's about the healthiest look

hone she meditated within herself, "Verily, the tender thoughtf

ill be very unpleasant to be called up only to tell people the do

doctor tonight, or for the next two nights, please say

t to bed and slept as sweetly as in the long-a

very leisurely way when she saw her husband step up on the porch. Then her leisure was exchanged for hurry. The doctor's appearance before meal time was the signal to which she responded aut

office?" asked a dist

here. Wait a minute, ple

"Isn't papa here?" she asked o

wa

here is

know wher

en. An occasional impulse to hoe sometimes came ove

the bread for supper. "Go quick, and see if papa's in

her? Perhaps the doctor was not in the garden. She rushed out and beat her d

es

minute." Back she ran. Wo

el

el

the garden but will be in in just

ell, th

d a half before th

." No

o!" S

ply. The doctor rang

lling me a

n't keep track of e

patience was giving out too. "She couldn't wait one half minute. I told

g at the office, I

ch easier for her to stay a half minute at the

itchen her daughter called, "Mother, did yo

y,

e where I was cutting it wh

small boy, peering through the

tooping over to recover the loaf, dropped in

he docto

led repeatedly,

th my ear to the 'ph

one waiting for him at the off

ere. I'm he

ke in the do

re you

then I took some salts and I thoughtlessly d

sked, "Have you

before the pat

of time. You needn

ink it will h

Not a

the acid might

ld and popular id

r. I was awfully scared.

ner, a leisurely Sunday dinner. The telephone called and he rose and we

is Dr.

es

much trouble for you to step into Hall's and ask

ly not.

o bother you with it. The

trou

the receiver and

n finish your dinner befo

oil Mrs. Abn

. Ab

a quart of ice-c

you've got to do with

s I'm at t

Of course you must go. Wouldn't Mrs. Abner feel mortified though if she knew you had to

well over," laughed John. "Every now and then someone

nd his wife looked after him

peacefully for an hour or two. Then came a

elephone, John, it

his dressing-gown

llow but it was evident John was not coming back. She must have dozed, for it seemed to her a lo

some place, do y

'phone, Mary. I think I'll have to go do

They have no 'phone or that ma

ones before I get back tell him he'll have to come down to Stetson

p Van Winkle," said Mary,

tor was back and snuggli

ver to Stetson's," he ann

imed, almost getting a

Ting-a-ling-ling-ling

he doctor springing up and g

es

whe

tand-a little house farther down that street..... Yes,

n he had gone, was

hurrying guiltily toward the summoning tyrant, her sub

el

tor there,

f you 'phoned to tell you you would hav

said the voice of central,

awake. "He got back from Stetson's and went to anoth

oice of cent

derstand now. He says if that message comes you a

this time. That stork is a little too busy tonig

orld and then they went to sleep. The next morning she said, "John, I've just thought of something

used to bothering you Mary,

hen the ring came. She stopped and listened. It ca

for an hour or more,

hard to sort of keep an ear on the 'phone, will it? J

d she went upstairs, leavin

op when she had to turn ab

." No

ing Dr. Blank's

udged up the stairs again. "This is more tiresome than

came. She leaned her broom a

ry sorry to have put you to th

her old pastor for whom sh

e back within half an

n, but I wonder that you k

'll be at church next Sunday, if minding th

hat church is for-

dragging one's weary feet down to the 'phone to hear something beside a

n about fifteen minutes came the ting-a-lin

t the receiver to her ear her

Mary, you'r

ed as she took off her sun-bonnet and sat herself down.

inking about them-these messages

to eat some tomatoes this

etter. Can he have som

r, he's determined he will have more to eat

rt Helen, will it

of that clear medicine I am to g

hat the dark medicine is to be given....

t. Do you think we will need any mo

ing, Doctor?...... Very well, I'll be down i

ng. I don't think he has any fever now and he slept al

.... You can tell better when you see it?.... Well, I suppose you can. I'll be

r this morning, but she stil

as well as he was last night. I

thoughts the telephone rang three times. She rose f

Dr. Blank

is res

doctor

be down on the se

t quite six. Thi

the name a

I want to get a pin

afraid he wants it for himself." She kne

cription from a physician, you

him," thought our

n't you just speak to the druggist ab

n hour-see him," and she hurried the receiver into its place, anxious to get away from it. This was a story that was entirely new to her

g his wife awakened instantly at the expected summons and rose to admit him. In a little while both were fast asleep. The wife, about a half hour later, found herself struggling to

lled softly. H

uder. He stirred sl

n, J

uh

telep

vers, and rising, st

el

tle boy came to hi

hese papers an' git thro

. "You jist want to fool aroun

red his wife. "What a shame to rous

ow but would lie awake with her own thoughts which were very pleasant thoughts this morning. By and by she rose softly, dressed and went out onto the veranda and looked long into the reddening eastern sky. Ever since she could remember she had felt this keen d

awaken to what it was. Then she sat up in bed calling her husband, who had just awakened too and sprung out of bed. Dazed, he stumble

es

night? In

rs. Brownson?" Silence.

woman! She'

one, John. It's against the rul

growling his wa

herself to sleep which came very soon. But she was soon routed out of it. She went to the 'phone, expecting to hear a querulous woman's voice asking, "Has the doctor

es

doctor

be back in abou

ell him to come to

send him

nk y

steps. The doctor could come home by way of Twitchell's

s and after a little w

Mrs. Br

es

Blank. I think he

here. He's

pillow. She might fall asleep and not waken when her husband came in. She wondered what time it was. Up there on the wall the clock was ticking serenely away-she had only to turn

but a cherry tree near her window blotted it out. Bend and peer as she might the branches intervened. It was tantalizing. She rose irresolute. Should she step out doors where the cherry tree would not be in the way? Not for a thousand dippers! She walked to another window. That view shut even the handle out. She looked for the Pleiades.

e another trip. Mr. Twitc

phone again. In five or ten minutes the danger would be over. She waited. At last she closed her eyes to sleep. But what would be the use? In twenty minutes more her husband would come in and rouse her