Page:Masterpieces of American Humor (Little Blue Book 959).djvu/14

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12
MASTERPIECES OF AMERICAN HUMOR

get the advantage of us. I ain't no objections to lawyers and doctors in their place, and some is clever men, but they ain't farmers, gentlemen of the jury. Now this Dr. Mason was a new doctor, and I sent for him to come and doctor my wife's sore leg. And he did, and put some salve truck on it, and some rags, but it never done a bit of good, gentlemen of the jury. I don't believe he's no doctor, no way. There's doctors as I know is doctors, sure enough; but this ain't no doctor at all."

Old Peter was making headway with the jury, when Dr. Mason said, "Here is my diploma."

"His diploma," said Bennett, with great contempt; "that ain't nothin', for no piece of paper ever made a doctor yet."

"Ask my patients," yelled the now thoroughly enraged physician.

"Ask your patients," slowly repeated Bennett; and then, deliberating, "Ask your patients! Why, they are all dead. Ask your patients! Why, I should have to hunt them in the lonely graveyards, and rap on the silent tomb to get answers from the dead. You know they can't say nothing to this case, for you've killed 'em all."

Loud was the applause, and old Peter Bennett won his case.