"Maybe there's a gourd hanging inside the curb. If there is do break it loose and bring it to me heaping full."

"I looked inside the curb--nothing there."

Here Mary's anxious eyes saw a gla.s.s fruit jar turned upside down on a fence paling. Blessings on the woman who put it there! The doctor filled and brought it to her. After a long draught she uttered a sigh of rich content.

"Now," she said, "I'm ready to go home."

CHAPTER X.

Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Ting-a-ling-ling-ling.

"h.e.l.lo."

"Is this the doctor?"

"It's one of 'em," said John, recognizing the voice of a patient.

"Well, doctor, the _other_ side of my throat is sore _now_!"

"Is it? Well, I told your husband it might be."

"Why?"

"Why? Well, because I'm running short of coffee and a few things like that."

A little laugh. "_I_ don't want to keep you in coffee and things like that."

"n.o.body does. But the poor doctors have to live and you must contribute your share." Laughter.

"All right, Doctor, but I don't want to have to contribute too much."

"Don't be alarmed about your throat, Mrs. Channing. When I looked at it yesterday, I saw indications that the other side might be affected, but it will soon be well."

"That sounds better. Thank you, good-bye." When he came back to the table his wife said, "John, I shouldn't think you'd say things like that to people."

"Why?"

"Well, they might believe 'em." The doctor laughed, swallowed his cup of tea and departed.

Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Three times.

"h.e.l.lo."

"Is Dr. Blank at home?"

"He has just this minute left for the office. 'Phone him there in two minutes and you will get him."

Mary went back, took two bites and when the third was suspended on her fork the 'phone rang.

"Somebody else," she thought, laying the fork down and rising.

"Oh! I've got you again, Mrs. Blank. You said to ring in two minutes and I'd get the doctor."

"But you didn't wait _one_ minute."

"It seemed lots longer. All right, I'll wait."

"People expect a doctor to get there in less than no time," thought Mary. "John walks so fast I felt safe in telling her to 'phone him in two minutes."

_Buzz-z-z-z-z_, as if all the machinery of the universe were let loose in her ear. She had held the receiver till her husband could reach the office so she might feel a.s.sured the anxious one had found him. Yes, that was his voice.

"Dr. Blank, you're president of the board of health, ain't ye?"

"Yes--guess so."

"This is Jack Johnson's. There's a dead horse down here by our house an'

I want you to come down here an' bury it." Our listener heard the woman's teeth snap together.

"All right. I'll get a spade and come right along."

"What do they take my husband for," thought Mary.

Buzz-z-z-z at her ear again. Now it was her husband's voice saying,

"Give me number forty-five."

In a minute a gentlemanly voice said, "h.e.l.lo."

"Is this you, Warner?"

"Yes."

"There's a dead horse down by Jack Johnson's. Go down there and bury it."

"All right, Doc. I'll be right along."

A burst of laughter from the doctor was echoed by Warner. Mary knew that Warner was the newly elected alderman and she smiled as she pictured the new officer leaving his elegant home and going down to perform the obsequies. Nevertheless her heart leaned toward Jack Johnson's wife, for it was plain to be seen that neither the new president of the board of health nor the new alderman had a realizing sense of his duties.

Half an hour later three rings sounded.

"Is this Dr. Blank's office?"

"No, his residence."

"Well, I see by the paper he's on the board of health and we want this manure-pile taken away from here."