Show The Fiction CALL A DOCTOR By Richard H H. Wilkinson Corner O OGDEN TURNED over In bed muttered then sat bolt upright up up- right There was a wild unholy light in his eyes Great globules of perspiration stood out on his fore fore- head bead His hands felt cold and clam clam- my For a moment he feat lIat rigid and tense Slowly he relaxed Then he switched on the bedside light Five am a.m. In four tour and a hall half hours it would be over o He lie would have entered entered en en- entered en- en Mr Mitch Mitch- ells eUa office and U Minute said In effect 3 3 FIction Mr Mitchell I have worked for tor you for t three h r e e years rears I J am a valued employee and feel that I J deserve more money And Mr Mitchell would reply- reply Well what would Mr Mitchell reply reply re reo re- re pl ply He e got co out of bed without waking his wife It was and till still dark lie He went into the bathroom bathroom bathroom bath bath- room and tamed turned on OD the shower At A 6 8 o'clock fully dressed he came downstairs lIe He put coffee coffee cof cot fee on OD to boil hoU set a frying pan over a pas gas as Jet cut open an aD orance orange plugged In the toaster Presently he be sat down to eat lie He ate automatically Food was tasteless tasteless taste taste- less in his mouth He Ha left Jelt the house without waking Helen nelen During the half hour it took him to reach the office he was beset beset be be- set let by all sorts of terrifying fancies lIe He grew hot bot then cold lie He changed his mind twice about approaching Mr Mitchell lIe He thought hed he'd postpone postpone postpone post- post pone the tho ordeal Then he pictured himself coming home to Helen Helen nelen was proud of him What would d she think if he bad had to admit lacking the courage to face a common com corn cornmon mon ordinary man like Mr Mitchell Mitch Mitch- ell eU Now there was something Mr Mitchell was was after all nothing more than a common ordinary mar man Like him himself ell Built the same way Capable of having toothaches and stomachaches and liking his 1 1 i Good Lord call ecU a doctor eggs fried only on one on side Ilde Jut Just a man Ogden tried to himself in Mr position rOlmon What would he do if U an employee of three years asked t for a r isis fI ts T What Why hed he'd look at the matter coldly inu Iru personally Hed He'd add things up and and I r decide whether or not the employee was worth more to him in dollars a and nd cents Hed He'd try to figure out i in n his own mind how little he could get away with paying Ah Ahl There was something now If you asked for a raise act as though you deserved it Give the Impression that the possibility you weren't worth more never entered your head It was merely a matter of arriving arriving ar ar- at- at riving at a figure People spoke to Ogden when he e entered the office Then they looked a at t him curiously He Ie wasn't the s same ame lie He was ill Or perhaps he be head h had ad a hangover He lIe seemed pale H Ills His is hands trembled when he hung u up p his hat He Ie was sweating Perhaps Per h haps aps he should call a a doctor AT jT Mr Mitchell came in in i a. nodding and speaking to everyone every o one ne as he always alway did Ogden opened h his is mouth to reply but no sound c came ame He lie wet his lips started to rise sat s at down again weakly Mr Mitchell's Mitchells Mitch Mitch- ells ell's door opened Mr Mitchell came out Ogden 1 he yelled and his voice had bad a rasping sound Ogden jumped What had he done now Certainly Mr Mitchell Mitch Mitch- ell eli acted as though he was COIng going go go- ing lug to ball him out Perhaps fire lire him Good Firing would be a relief relict It would settle the whole problem He lie could tell lichen Helen that thai he ho had asked for a raise and Mitchell had fired tired him hint and It was her fault faulL Mr Mitchell was behind his hIl desk when Ogden entered aid Ogden en Ive I've been thinking about you Youve You've proved yourself valuable valuable valuable val val- to the firm That western deal now now You did a good job You have the sort of stuff we need inthIs Inthis in inthis this organization Im I'm the sort of man who believes in paying a man what hes he's worth Now I need a Junior partner If It youre you're interested Id I'd like to groom you for the post You'd start at double your present salary Then in a year year Hey Hey Miss Ry Ryan nl I Quick a glass of water Ogden's Ogden's Og- Og dens den's fainted Good Lord call a doctor doctori I |