"Throw the darned thing away." He turned from the telephone and said, "Doctor, a young lady has burned her eye. I want you to go out there right away." "Where shall I go?" asked the grave doctor. "I guess you know," and he grinned. "All right. I'll go pretty soon." "Don't be too long. Charge it to me." "Fanny," he said, turning back to the 'phone, but Fanny had gone. And soon with a smile that had memories in it the doctor took his case and left the office, the young man at his side. * * * * * Ting-a-ling-ling-ling-ling-ling. Mary, from the living room, heard her husband's voice: "What is it?" "Yes." "They won't? O, I suppose so if nobody else will. I'll be up there in a little bit." He muttered something, took his hat and went. When he came back, he said, "This time I had to help the dead." "To help the dead!" exclaimed Mary. "Yes. To help a dead woman into her coffin. Everybody was afraid to touch her." "Why?" "The report got out that she died of smallpox. I only saw her once and could not be sure, but to be on the safe side I insisted that every precaution be taken--hence the scare." "But how could you lift the body without help?" "Oh, I managed it somehow. Just the same I'd rather minister to the living," said John, to which Mary gave vigorous assent. * * * * * "Old Mr. Vintner has just been 'phoning for you in a most imperious way," announced Mary as the doctor came in at the door. "Yes, old skinflint! The maid at his house is very sick and he's so afraid they'll have to take care of her that he's determined to send her home when she can't go. She has pneumonia. She lives miles out in the country--" Ting-a-ling-ling-ling-ling. "Yes." "Now see here, Vintner. Listen to me." "Yes, I know. But a man's got to be _human_. I tell you you can't send her out in this cold. It's outrageous to--" "Yes, I know all that, too. But it won't be long--the crisis will come in a day or two now and--" "Damn it! Listen. Now stop that and listen. Don't you attempt it! That girl will be to drag off if you do, I tell you--" "All right then. That sounds more like it," and he hung up the receiver. Mary looked up. "You are not very elegant in your discourse at times, John, but I'm glad you beat," she said. * * * * * One evening the doctor came in and walked hurriedly into the dining-room. As he was passing the telephone it rang sharply in his ear. "What is it?" he asked, hastily putting up the receiver. An agitated voice said, "Oh, Doctor, I've just given my little girl a teaspoonful of carbolic acid! Quick! What must I do!"