DR. KILDARE GOES HOME

Putaruru Press, Volume XVI, Issue 957, 20 November 1941, Page 3

DR. KILDARE GOES HOME

adapted from the Metro - Goldwyn - Mayet Picture by

Frances Barbour

Copfitcht mo by ZfOew’s Zac.

Synopsis : ' it is a big dan at the Blair Gerv ’oral Hospital for young Dr. Jimmy Kildare toko has graduated from kie interneship and been made a '*££Lnted h to Ci Dr. Gillespie. Nou Bi ■ and pretty - Nurse Mart t can look forward to a mar n the near future. But when r telephones hie home in Cory t to convey the good news t« her and mother there is nc ; He is worried as thest father’s office hours and ii strange that there is no t home. Now Kildare is or, ty back to Dr. Gillespie’/

.Chapter Two

Just outside the door, Jimmy Stopped. Now wasn't that just like Gillespie, having his name put on fiw» glass panel five minutes after the confirmation of his appointknent. Why, the old bear never Enissed a trick when It came to OBing something nice for the other fellow. .^9 >. Wn entered the office, but had no Bthan stepped in when the i one rang foy him: 3ChCB {lit I lightened as he £Shd his * r’s voice over the wire. Quick- ) told her the good news. ; he noticed that her voice ' sd a bit strained. -** * “Well son," she was saying, “the . R thing that surprises me is i they didn't make you the : of the hospital. What? Your :r? JHe’s all right. Oh—he Just ’t had time to write. No, Z think there's any chance sh us getting down to New York , for some time. I'm sending you more of that summer underwear, rcake care of yourself. Goodbye, pon.” ( i Kildare hung up and stood there , thoughtfully. , “Well,” Gillespie Jibed, “What {did you expect your mother to do— : Iband springs?” But Jimmy was really worried. "There's something wrong. My father hasn’t answered my last 'two letters and my mother isn’t a-very good liar about it.” “Then , -what are you waiting tor?" . ,• ’ "I’m not waiting." Jimmy had •nade up his mind. "I’m goring up to Hartford and find out.” Gillespie nodded approvingly. “Fine. Ring me up and let me know what’s what. I'll be worrying about you.” He caught the five forty train planning to stay In Hartford for ithe night and be back at the hospital in the morning. It was just {dusk when he reached the house and when his mother came to the front door, she could only stare at him for a moment in astonishment. Then she hugged him happily, “Jimmy, what on earth are you doing here?” He looked down at her. “Mother, there wasn’t any use trying to r fool me over the phone. What’s jwrong?” < His solicitude brought tears to her eyes, tears that had been {very close. “Jimmy, Pm worried ’sick.” She choked up a little. "It’s your father I just don’t know :what to do.” -SA few moments later she was telling him the whole story. Recently, the paper mills had moved’ away from Portersville, the town nearby. It had thrown most of the people over there out of work so that the Portersville 'doctors had to move elsewhere, some place where they could make a living. So now when anybody got sick in Portersville there was no one to call on but Hr. Stephen Kildare here in Hartford. That’s why he •hadn’t been in his office when Jimmy had telephoned. Taking care of two towns meant putting in a fifteen hour day—seven days a week. Jimmy nodded. “So what he’s doing is killing himself keeping other people well.” His mother nodded tearfully. “Jimmy, it hurts me so to lcfik at your father now he's so drawn, and grey and worn.” Tenderly, he put his arms around her shoulders. "There’s got to be some way of making him take care of himself." His mother was almost at the breaking point. . She’d kept her worries to herself for so long. “He’s not young any more...” The or.tside door opened. “That must b-! he now.” She called, “Stephen”. J mmy turned as his father appeared. A slight shock went over him. Hr. Stephen Kildare had aged. His shoulders were stooped and his face was haggard with new deep grooves in it. But as he saw his eon a smile lighted it up. "Jimmy —well, hello there." There was a warm greeting between them and then Had explained diffidently that he was a little tired tonight. He’d been working prettv hard all day over in Portersville. Then, at his wife’s guestion he shook his head. No, e wasn’t very hungry. He stalled for the stairs. "Going to be here In the morning. Jimmy?”

Jimmy hesitated briefly, then looked at his .mother, “Yes. yes I'll be here tomorrow, Dad. I’ll see you then." , When he had, gone, Jimmy's; mother turned to him. ‘You see?”, she .said in a panicky--whisper. And he’s even sleeping in the; spare bedroom so I won t know, how early he gets out.” ; Jimmy's face was grim. Yes, I see. And something's got to be' done about it." A few moments later he went upstairs to his father’s room. Dr. Stephen was wearily removing his coat. “Well,” Jimmy began brightly. "Mother said she wishes you were a horse." - t "A horse?" - I “Yes." Jimmy’s tone was i ■ liberately airy. "Then she couli complain to the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals about your being overworked.” i His father smiled faintly. “Jimmy, if I were a fireman, I couldn't refuse to put out a burning house because I’d rather play pinochle, could I?" 1 "No,” Jimmy retorted, "but even a fireman takes care of his own health, and you’re pretty well worn put." i His father sighed. “I see your mother's told you about PortersvUle.” He stilled Jimmy’s protests. "Oh. I know every argument you can give me— your mother’s usedthem all. But the Portensville folks are fine decent people and they only call me in in emergencies and I just have to go.” He sat down to untie his shoes. "I’ll be all right as soon as I get some sleep." ' Striving to be casual, Jimmy said, "I’m going to be here a few days. Suppose I help you with [some of the easier cases." He added glibly, "I’ve got some time off.” The telephone rang and his mother called him. He knew be T forehand who it would be. “Hello —Oh hello Dr. Gillespie.” He spoke carefully, so that his father wouldn’t realize that he was staying on without the hospital’s permission. “Yes yes, I saw Dad and Mother .. .I’ll tell you about it when I see you. No, I’m not coming down on the morning train. No, I can’t say when I’ll be back... Right now my plans are a little vague." He listened for a moment as Gillespie made all sorts of outraged sounds over the telephone. What did Jimmy mean about plans; a little vague? Did he expect patients to cure themselves? Well,; suppose he made up his mind and t let him know. Goodnight! Bang! Out in the hall Jimmy said quietly to his mother, "You’re right. Dad’ll feel rested in the morning, sure. But then he’ll start out again, and he won’t ever stop. Six months or a year from now though unless we do something right aWay well, one morning, he just won’t wake up.” "I'll make him stop,” his mother said fiercely. "Nobody can. So my place is here to take some of the burden off his shoulders. In the meantime, let’s just not tell him any more than we have to” Mrs. Kildare nodded. Her eyes were wet but a brave smile was struggling through. “Oh Jimmy, if you’re here, I know we can find some way out of this.” “Sure we can. And the first thing I’m doing is making thei rounds with Dad tomorrow. And) after that Well, we’ll see if we; can’t work out something else.” He was at the breakfast table with Dad early the next morning; and they were just finishing their! coffee. “Yes,” Dr. Stephen'was saying,, “you city doctors miss a lot of; fuß, Jimmy. You take care of! patient Number 728 and never see; him again. But I have no patient Number 728. To me he’s Jock Black and I’ve got to cure him or else his boy can’t go to college and learn how to be an engineer or maybe how to eat goldfish.” "Guess you’re right, Dad. Let’s see, Portersville’s just a half mile.” “Yep. Just about. Got your list?” “Sure.” Jimmy looked at the paper in his hand. "Starting withi Mrs. Deering all the way down to) meeting you at George Winslow’s.” He rubbed his chin. Well, it was a funny world. If anybody had! told him 24 hours ago that he’d be practicing medicine here in Dartford, he’d have said they were crazy. But that was the way life went you never could tell what the next day would bring. The biei question now though was what would today bring? Jimmy’s plans have taken a decided turn over night. Though his appointment to Dr. Gillespie means everything in the v‘ 'jrld to him, he knows that Ms place is at his father’s Side at such a critical time. Can he work out something that will relieve the "burden from the elder Dr. Kildare’s ' shoulders f Be sure to read to- ; morrow’s exciting installment.