The Story of a Doctor's Telephone—Told by His Wife

“How long has she been sick?”

“She began complaining last night.”

“All right – I'll be out some time today.”

“Come right away, please, if you can.”

This is an old, old plea. The doctor is thoroughly inured to it. He would have to be twenty men instead of one to respond to it at all times. He answers cheerfully, “All right,” and Mary takes alarm. That tone means sometime in the next few hours. She feels sure he ought to go now. Somebody else can wait better than this patient. There was a kind of hesitancy in that voice that Mary had heard before. A woman's intuitions are much safer guides than a man's slow reasoning. She must speak to John. She rings the office.

“Hello.”

“Say, John,” she says in a low voice, “I came to the 'phone thinking you were out and heard that message. I think you ought to go out there right away.”

“Well, I'm going after a little.”

“But I don't think you ought to wait. I'm sure it's —you know.”

“Well, – maybe I had better go right out.”

“I wish you would. I know they'll be looking for you every minute.”

A few minutes later Mary saw him drive past and was glad. Half an hour later the office ring sounded. She did not wait for the second peal. True, John had not said, “Watch the 'phone,” today, but that was understood. Occasionally he got an old man who lived next door to the office to come in and stay during his absence. Possibly he might have done so today. But even if he were there the telephone and its ways were a dark mystery to him and besides, his deafness made him of little use in that direction.

Mary took down the receiver and put it to her ear. A lady's voice was asking, “Who is this?”

Mary knew from her inflection that she had asked something before and was not satisfied with the reply.

“This is Dr. Blank's office?” announced the old man in a sort of interrogative.

“Well, where is the doctor?”

“The doctor,” said the old man meditatively, as if wondering that anybody should be calling for him – “the doctor – you mean Dr. Blank, I reckon?”

“I certainly do.”

“Good Heavens,” thought Mary, “why don't he go on!”

“Why, he's out.”

“Where is he?”

“He went to the country.”

Mary shut her lips tight.

“Well, when will he be back?”

“He 'lowed he'd be back in about an hour or so.”

“How long has he been gone? Maybe I'll get some information after a while.”

Mary longed to speak. Why hadn't she done so at first. If she thrust herself in now it would make her out an eavesdropper. But this was unbearable. She opened her mouth to speak when the old man answered.

“He's been gone over an hour now, I reckon.”

“Then he'll soon be back. Will you be there when he comes?”

“Yes ma'am.”

“Then tell him to come up to Mrs. Dorlan's.”

“To Mrs. Who's?”

“Mrs. Dorlan's.”

“I didn't ketch the name.”

“Mrs. Dorlan's, on Brownson street.”

“Mrs. Torren's?”

“MISS-ES – DOR-LAN'S!” shouted the voice.

Mary sighed fiercely and clinched her teeth unconsciously. “I will speak,” she thought, when the old voice ventured doubtingly,

“Mrs. Dorlan's?”

“That's it. Mrs. Dorlan's on Brownson street, will you remember it?”

“Mrs. Dorlan's, on Brownson street.”

“That's right. Please tell him just as soon as he comes to come right up.”

“All right – I'll tell him.”

“Poor old fellow!” said Mary as she turned from the 'phone, “but I don't want to go through any more ordeals like that. It was a good deal harder for me than for the other woman.”

The doctor came down late to dinner. “You got Mrs. Dorlan's message did you?”

“Yes, I'll go up there right after dinner.” He looked at his wife with peculiar admiration.

“How did you know what was wanted with me out in the country?” he asked.

With a little pardonable pride she replied: “Oh, I just felt it. Women have ways of understanding each other that men never attain to. Is it a boy or a girl added to the world today?”

“Neither,” said the doctor placidly, helping himself to a roll.

Chagrin overspread her face. “Well,” she said with an embarrassed smile, “I erred on mercy's side, and it might have happened in just that way, John, and you know it.”