your office and followed me all the way up here. You’ve done a beautiful job in setting Johnny’s arm and putting a cast and sling on it.”
“Right,” said Johnny’s mother. “We need to pay you more than three dollars. Let’s give him ten, Clyde.”
“All right,” said Clyde, pulling his wallet from his hip pocket.
As Clyde opened his wallet, Dr. Dane said, “You really don’t need to pay me that much. Three dollars is fine.”
Clyde grinned as he took out a ten-dollar bill and pressed it into the doctor’s free hand. “We happen to know that Dr. Fraser was underpaid far too many times, Dr. Logan. And I’m sure it’s already happened to you. Let the extra money take the place of some you didn’t get when you should have.”
Dr. Dane smiled and shook his head. “All right, sir, if you say so.”
“I say so, and so does my missus.”
“Me too,” put in Johnny.
Dr. Dane thanked them, saying he would see them in three or fours days at the office, and moved outside. He mounted his horse, thanked them once again as they stood on the porch, and rode away.
When Dr. Dane arrived in Central City some forty-five minutes later, he found a young woman sitting in the waiting area. “You’re Mrs. Dexter, aren’t you?”
“Yes, Doctor. I made an appointment a few days ago.”
“And you’re here because you think you might be expecting a baby, if I remember correctly.”
“Yes,” she smiled. “Your wife is in the examining room right now with a boy who burned his hand. His father works for the Holton Mine, as does my husband.”
“I see. Well, I’ll get on back there and see about the boy, and I’ll get to you as soon as I can.”
“That’s fine, Doctor. I understand the boy’s problem is an emergency. I’ll wait.”
When Dr. Dane stepped into the examining room, he found Tharyn standing over one of the examining tables, where a small boy lay. The boy’s mother was standing next to Tharyn, trying to comfort him.
Both women looked up as the doctor moved toward them. Tharyn was applying salve to the boy’s right hand as he watched, his lips quivering.
“Hello,” Tharyn said as he drew up and placed his medical bag on a nearby cart. “This is Belva Matthews, and this is her son, Craig. He’s eight years old. He burned his hand earlier this morning.”
“Hello, Mrs. Matthews,” said Dr. Dane with a smile, then looked down at the boy.
Belva afforded him a thin smile. “Hello, Doctor. We’ve heard a lot about you lately, and we’re glad you’re here. Craig tried to help me clean up the kitchen from breakfast after his father left for the mine this morning. He grasped the handle of a skillet on the stove, not realizing that the handle was extremely hot. I tried to take careof the burns, but finally decided I should bring him to you. Mrs. Logan has put salve on them, but you can see that his palm and four fingers have big blisters on them.”
Dr. Dane could tell the boy was trying not to cry while Tharyn was applying the salve. He looked closely at Tharyn’s work. “Well, Craig, it looks like my wife has you just about fixed up. You’ll need a bandage on that hand, and we can let you go home.”
Tharyn set her eyes on her husband. “I’ll let you take over here, darling, so I can get back to the office. Is Mandy Dexter still out there?”
“Yes, she is.”
“All right. I’ll tell her it’ll only be a few minutes until you can see her.”
“Right. I’d say we’ll be finished here in about twenty minutes.”
When Tharyn entered the office, she noted that Mandy Dexter was still the only person in the waiting area. As she moved behind her desk, she said, “Mandy, Doctor said to tell you he’ll be finished with Craig in about twenty minutes.”
“That will be fine, Mrs. Logan. Is Craig’s hand going to be all right?”
“Oh yes. The burns are serious, but they will heal with no problem, I’m sure.”
“That’s good.”
Suddenly they heard pounding hooves
“Right,” said Johnny’s mother. “We need to pay you more than three dollars. Let’s give him ten, Clyde.”
“All right,” said Clyde, pulling his wallet from his hip pocket.
As Clyde opened his wallet, Dr. Dane said, “You really don’t need to pay me that much. Three dollars is fine.”
Clyde grinned as he took out a ten-dollar bill and pressed it into the doctor’s free hand. “We happen to know that Dr. Fraser was underpaid far too many times, Dr. Logan. And I’m sure it’s already happened to you. Let the extra money take the place of some you didn’t get when you should have.”
Dr. Dane smiled and shook his head. “All right, sir, if you say so.”
“I say so, and so does my missus.”
“Me too,” put in Johnny.
Dr. Dane thanked them, saying he would see them in three or fours days at the office, and moved outside. He mounted his horse, thanked them once again as they stood on the porch, and rode away.
When Dr. Dane arrived in Central City some forty-five minutes later, he found a young woman sitting in the waiting area. “You’re Mrs. Dexter, aren’t you?”
“Yes, Doctor. I made an appointment a few days ago.”
“And you’re here because you think you might be expecting a baby, if I remember correctly.”
“Yes,” she smiled. “Your wife is in the examining room right now with a boy who burned his hand. His father works for the Holton Mine, as does my husband.”
“I see. Well, I’ll get on back there and see about the boy, and I’ll get to you as soon as I can.”
“That’s fine, Doctor. I understand the boy’s problem is an emergency. I’ll wait.”
When Dr. Dane stepped into the examining room, he found Tharyn standing over one of the examining tables, where a small boy lay. The boy’s mother was standing next to Tharyn, trying to comfort him.
Both women looked up as the doctor moved toward them. Tharyn was applying salve to the boy’s right hand as he watched, his lips quivering.
“Hello,” Tharyn said as he drew up and placed his medical bag on a nearby cart. “This is Belva Matthews, and this is her son, Craig. He’s eight years old. He burned his hand earlier this morning.”
“Hello, Mrs. Matthews,” said Dr. Dane with a smile, then looked down at the boy.
Belva afforded him a thin smile. “Hello, Doctor. We’ve heard a lot about you lately, and we’re glad you’re here. Craig tried to help me clean up the kitchen from breakfast after his father left for the mine this morning. He grasped the handle of a skillet on the stove, not realizing that the handle was extremely hot. I tried to take careof the burns, but finally decided I should bring him to you. Mrs. Logan has put salve on them, but you can see that his palm and four fingers have big blisters on them.”
Dr. Dane could tell the boy was trying not to cry while Tharyn was applying the salve. He looked closely at Tharyn’s work. “Well, Craig, it looks like my wife has you just about fixed up. You’ll need a bandage on that hand, and we can let you go home.”
Tharyn set her eyes on her husband. “I’ll let you take over here, darling, so I can get back to the office. Is Mandy Dexter still out there?”
“Yes, she is.”
“All right. I’ll tell her it’ll only be a few minutes until you can see her.”
“Right. I’d say we’ll be finished here in about twenty minutes.”
When Tharyn entered the office, she noted that Mandy Dexter was still the only person in the waiting area. As she moved behind her desk, she said, “Mandy, Doctor said to tell you he’ll be finished with Craig in about twenty minutes.”
“That will be fine, Mrs. Logan. Is Craig’s hand going to be all right?”
“Oh yes. The burns are serious, but they will heal with no problem, I’m sure.”
“That’s good.”
Suddenly they heard pounding hooves
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