Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 245, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 October 1911 — WENT IN SOME HASTE [ARTICLE]

WENT IN SOME HASTE

IN HIB PAJAMAS DOcloß RESPONDED TO CALL. -Joke” That the Physician Must Have Greatly Enjoyed—And All Wife Wanted Was for Him to Take Her Home. Hbw a prominent Indianapolis physician—recently a visitor in Chicagoanswered a hurry call from a “patient” clad only in a heavy overcoat thrown over his pajamas and his house slippers, and instead of finding th© supposed patient was confronted by n hilarious party of his own friends, was told here at the Auditorium hotel by the physician himself. * ? “Yes,” the Indianapolis doctor began, “I believe I hold the record for being the brunt of the practical joker’s tricks. Listen to this tale and see if you don’t agree with me: “To begin with, my wife Is a bridge whist enthusiast, while I myself would rather go to jail than to a card party. On the night in question we had both been invited to a friend’s home to play bridge. She—my Wise —went and I staid at home. Clad in my pajamas, With a sweet old meerschaum in my mouth and my feet poked close to a blazing log In my bedroom fireplace, f settled down to read a new detective story which I had bought a day or two before. . ■> “Alohg about ten o’clock I grew sleepy. I closed my eyes almost unconsciously Snd my chin fell on my breast How long I would have dozed that way before the fire I don’t know, had I not been awakened by a frantic ringing. of the telephone beH in my office room. “I blinked once or twice and hurried to answer the call. “/Hello!* came the voice through the receiver, ‘ls this Dr. P—?’ “‘Yes,’said I. ' ‘“O, doctor, won’S you hurry up to my house? This Is Mrs. Thomas. MF baby is terribly sick and I don’t know what is the matter, or what to do. Please hurry, doctor.’ "It was.rather cold but of doors, but I was in a hurry. Mrs. Thomas was a friend of mine and of my wife. It was at her home that the bridge whist party was being held, but I did not remember that in my haste; I threw my overcoat over my pajamas and went to the shed when I kept my runabout. There was a heater in ft and as I had not more than half a mile to ride I thought I would be able to withstand the cold. So I started, my coat collar turned up, no hat and the automobile running on high speed. “As I came near the house I noticed many lights and I thought that truly the baby’s illness must be serious. When I pulled up at the block at the curbing I jumped out and ran into the house, never pausing in my hurry to ring the bell It was perhaps a case of life and death, I thought, and in such cases we physicians never pause for formality. “ ‘Just step in here a moment, doctor,’ spoke Mrs. Thomas. who met me in the hall. “I thought ft rather strange that I was not taken right to the patient, but I went into the room she indicated and sat down. I was indeed a unique sight for the eye. My hair was sticking up all over my head and at my throat my pink pajamas showed an inch or two and below my overcoat they showed a foot. I had on brown leather house slippers, and between them and my pajama bottoms showed a couple of inches of bare skin. I was a sorry looking sight, I admit “Suddenly four electric light, in a chandelier In the-middle of the room shone brilliantly, and I heard what sounded like laughter coming from a hundred maniacal persons. In reality, there were only eight of them, but they were maniacal, all right The first person I saw was my wife, and she was laughing so that tears coursed down her cheeks. The others la the party were literally doubled up. My wife, when she her laughic’. said.. “•John, 1 wanted to get you over here in the machine so that you could take me home. But I didn’t think you would come without your clothes.’ Chicago News. ' .