Homepage
Login
Profile
BookClubs
dmBox
Read Ebook: The Story of a Doctor's Telephone—Told by His Wife by Firebaugh Ellen M
Font size:
Background color:
Text color:
Add to tbrJar First Page Next Page Prev Page
Ebook has 2081 lines and 53647 words, and 42 pages
"Yes ma'am."
"Then tell him to come up to Mrs. Dorlan's."
"To Mrs. Who's?"
"I didn't ketch the name."
"Mrs. Torren's?"
"MISS-ES--DOR-LAN'S!" shouted the voice.
"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.
The doctor laughed. "There was mighty little the matter out there--they didn't need a doctor."
"Are they good pay?"
"Good as old wheat."
"Then there are compensations."
Some hours later when the 'phone rang, Mary went to explain that the doctor had 'phoned her he would be out about twenty minutes. But she found no chance to speak. A spirited dialogue was taking place between a young man and a maid:
"I'm right here."
"In Dr. Blank's office."
"What are you there for?"
"I'm waiting for the doctor and to while away the time thought I'd call you up."
Then it was his ring that Mary had answered. "I ought to hang this receiver right up," thought she, but instead she held it, her face beaming with a sympathetic smile.
"Are you feeling better today, Dolly?"
"Yes, I'm better."
"Able to go to the show then, tonight?"
Here a thin small voice put in, "No, you're not able! You're not going."
"Mamma says,--" began a pouting voice.
"I heard what she said," said Jack, laughing. "Have you been up all day?"
"Most of the day."
"Can you eat anything?"
"I ate an egg, some toast and some fruit for dinner."
"That's fine. I'll bring you a box of candy then pretty soon--I'm coming down in a little bit."
"That will be lovely."
"Which, the candy or the coming down?"
"The candy, goose, of course." A laugh at both ends of the wire.
Then Jack's voice. "Well, here comes the doctor. I've got to have my neck amputated now. Goodbye."
"Good-bye."
"All's fair in love and war," said Mary, "and it's plain to see what this is." Then she hung up the receiver without a qualm.
There were other times when the doctor's wife was glad she had gone to the 'phone, as in this instance.
She had taken down the receiver when a man's voice said, "The doctor just stepped out for a few minutes. If you will tell me your name, madam, I'll have him call you when he comes in."
"I dare say that gentleman, whoever he may be, is wondering what he has done," thought Mary.
But it was not altogether unpleasant to her to hear somebody else squelched, too!
There came a day when the doctor's wife rebelled. When her husband came home and ate his supper hastily and then rose to depart, she said, "You'd better wait at home a few minutes, John."
"Why?" He put the question brusquely, his hat in his hand.
"Because I think someone will ring here for you in a minute or two. Some man rang the office twice so I went to the 'phone to explain that you must be on your way to supper and he could find you here."
"Who was it?"
Add to tbrJar First Page Next Page Prev Page