Steadying herself against a typewriter desk she snatched up the telephone:

“Wilson 2000. Hurry, please!”

She had called it two weeks ago for a news story!

In response to the hospital operator’s, “Lijah-Wilsin,” she said:

“Dr. Ethridge Sterling, Junior.”

The voice died away and then came back:

“Dr. Sterling’s ’phone doesn’t answer.”

“Call him on the loud speaker, please. It’s terribly important.”

She could hear the weary, raucous rasping, which was penetrating every corridor of the whole hospital:

“Docterr Ste-earling. Doct-terr Eth-err-ridge Ste-earling-Junyior....”