Judge — July 1938 — page 12: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

“ALL RIGHT! ALL RIGHT! WHERE'S THE DROUGHT?” POWER OF SUGGESTION RS. KRULLER pulled her child into the consulting room as if she were launching a kite on a windy day. “Oh, doctor! I want you to give my little boy a thorough physical examina- tion, I'm afraid he’s becoming a prob- lem child.” Dr. Blondell nodded pleasantly from behind his desk. The boy snapped himself loose, picked up the doctor's pen and began to tap it in a bored way against an ex- pensive chromium desk clock while he looked around the room awaiting de- velopments. The doctor slid his blood pressure apparatus warily to one side. “Quincy!” cried Mrs. Kruller. ‘You mustn't do that to the doctor's nice things. Now take your shirt off like Mother's great big man.” Quincy, developing the technique, be- gan to drum rhythmically on the clock. Mrs. Kruller, approaching him brisk. ly, tried to open the top button of his shirt. The boy kicked her sharply on the shin without looking up. Mrs. Kruller stepped back. “He's only seven, but he’s stronger than I am already. He can kick sideways like a mule,” she added, almost proudly. She seemed non-plussed for a moment, then said brightly, “Oh, doctor, per- haps you should undress him?” Dr. Blondell made a modest gesture 10 By Irwin Sobel toward her, palm upward, to convey that the privilege was all Mrs. Kruller’s. “How would you like to undress yourself,” she asked hopefully “if I buy you a chocolate fudge sundae after- wards?” “Oh, I dunno,” said Quincy. “Papa'll be very angry when I tell Quincy ignored the remark in the in- terest of a simple rhythm. “He's really very musical, doctor. Don’t you think what he’s doing now sounds a bit like the beating of the drums in Stravinsky's Sacre du Prin- temps?” “A bit,” said Dr. Blondell. “If you don’t get undressed this very. minute, mama will give you a good licking!” Quincy smiled scornfully, Mrs. Krull- er was flustered. “Oh, doctor, I am afraid there is only one way!” Dr. Blondell conveniently found pa- pers on the desk to absorb his attention. The furrows on Mrs. Kruller’s forehead deepened. The corners of her mouth drooped. But suddenly her face smoothed out. “I’m sure you won't mind. Doctors are used to anything.” She turned to Quincy. “Will Mother's little man get undressed if I do?” “T dunno,” said Quincy. “TIL get the nurse,” said Dr. Blon- dell rising. “Please don’t do that,” protested Mrs. Kruller. “It will only make him worse. Quincy doesn’t like nurses.” She pulled her dress over her head. “Imitation and suggestion,” she mur- mured through the silk. “I suppose you have studied child psychology?” “A bit,” said Dr. Blondell. She folded her dress and placed it on the chair. Quincy was not interested. “But you always get undressed if Mother does! Dear, oh dear, what shall I do?” She seemed vanquished, then an idea blazed. “Will you get undressed like a great big man if the doctor does?” “Oh, I dunno,” said Quincy. “But madam, this is really—"* “Oh, please, doctor, please!” Tears filled her eyes. “I’m so anxious about him. You don’t know what this means to me!” Dr. Blondell was touched. He thought vaguely of Walter Reed who had given his life to conquer yellow fever, of the X-ray pioneers martyred by their own machines. It seemed a small sacrifice. He took off his coat and vest. Quincy permitted himself to be amused, “Now take off your shirt, lover,” coaxed his mother. “He's got his on,” said Quincy. “My dear lady, this is—" (Page 41, please) The Judge comicbooks.com