The Doctor's Story

Fonr or flve physicians were talking np town the other evoning at the home of one, and the conversation later turned to shop. One of them had reoently moved his office down town, and there was some discusaion as to the ity of separating house and ofEce. "Well," said the separatist, "I can't see auy difference so long as I am at niy office duriifg office honrs. " "Let me teil you a story," remarked the oldest man in the party. "Thirty years ago, when I begau practice, I lived in Virginia, and for a year or two I slept in my office. Then I married, and my wife owned a nice honse, and I went to it to live. It sat back from the street about 50 feet, and we decided tbat it would be rnucb nicer if we had my office ont on the street in the far corner of the Jot. Ouly 50 feet away, yon will observe, but still it was enough. Iu order to see sucb callers as carne during the night I had a night bell and a speaking tube connecting the front door of the office with my bedroom. You see, I did not want a patiënt to escape uuder auy circumstances. "Well, everything went nicely enough for three years or so, when one night a ring came to my bell. It was then about 2 o'clock in the morning, and the ring was a hot one. I askeö who it was, and the answer came froni a friend of mine to the effect tbat he was a mighty sick man and wanted to see mo at once. I told him to come around to the house and I would meet bini at the door and take care of him. Tben I got up, and, putting on my dressing gown and slippers, I proceeded to the front door. But there was uo oue there and no one in sight on the way between the gate and the house. "That was odd, and I went back and called through tho tubn to know what was -wrong. I received no answer, and. being quite unable to account for it, I took my lamp - it was a very dark and still night - and started to go out and investígate. Just as I was about to step uff the porch I lowered my lamp to get a better light on the step, and there at the foot of the porch lay a body. I turned it over at once, and as the light feil on the face I saw it was my friend who had only a minute before spoken to me. He was quite dead. And when an examination was made.it was discovered that he bad died of heart disease, and so near to me that I could almost have touched him. Possibly I could not have been of any service to him if I had Been biru when he first rang the bol], but the possibility that I might so affected me that from that day to this I have liad my office as uear my bed as I could get it."