"Now, what's wrong?" asked Allan, briefly, as Roger closed the door.
"It's my back," explained the patient. "It's busted. It busted all of a sudden."
"Was it when you were stooping over, perhaps to pick up something?"
Miss Mattie stared at him in astonishment. "Are you a mind-reader, or did Roger tell you?"
"Neither," smiled Allan. "Did a sharp pain come in the lumbar region when you attempted to straighten up?"
"'Twan't the lumber room. I ain't been in the attic for weeks, though I expect it needs straightenin'. It was in my bedroom. I was stoopin' over to open a bureau drawer, and when I riz up, I found my back was busted."
The Prescription
"I see," said Allan. He was already writing a prescription. "If your son will go down and get this filled, you will have no more trouble. Take two every four hours."
Miss Mattie took the bit of paper anxiously. "No surgical operation?" she asked.