“Well, you know I told you I dated my letter back to Sunday afternoon, and was writing away when I heard the door-bell ring. As I started toward the door I saw the laundry man standing there. I was conscious of looking at him in astonishment and in a dazed sort of way as I walked across the large room to open the door. I am sure he must have noticed the expression on my face. When I opened the door he asked as he always does, ‘Any laundry?’”
“‘Any laundry today?’ The words were on my tongue's end but I stopped them in time. You see it was really Sunday to me, so deep into the spirit of it had I got, and it was with a little shock that I came back to Monday again in time to answer the man in a rational way. And now my story's done.”
“Not a bad one, either,” said John, “I'm glad you condescended to finish it.”
The doctor came home at ten o'clock and went straight to bed and to sleep. At eleven he was called.
“What is it?” he asked gruffly.
“It's time for Silas to take his medicine and he won't do it.”
“Won't, eh?”
“No, he vows he won't.”
“Well, let him alone for a while and then try again.”