Dr. Michael's Challenge — Dorothy Worley

Angela Corbett, at seventy-five, was the matriarch of her large family -- and the virtual ruler of the town of Oakland. A beloved ruler, it is true, but a ruler. Angela had mellowed quite a bit with the years -- she was much mellower now than she had been on that day twenty-five years ago when she refused to recognize the nurse her favorite son, Christopher had married as a member of the Corbett clan. Christopher, as proud in his way as his mother, had refused to accept less for the woman he loved -- and Angela Corbett had never heard from her son again.

The selection of the new intern at Corbett Hospital had been in old Dr. Stanton's hands -- but Angela Corbett knew about it. And knew, too, that the staff at Corbett, and even the people of Oakland might object to a woman intern -- a woman doctor.

It puzzled Dr. Michael Garland, whose first name had misled the staff at Corbett into thinking she was a man, to receive an invitation -- a royal summons -- as it were -- to Angela Corbett's birthday party, and she refused it. What possible reason could the old woman have for inviting Michael, except her curiosity to see the new intern who had turned out so surprisingly to be a woman? Well, Michael would no satisfy that curiosity…

And thus began a battle of wills between the lovely new intern at Corbett and the indomitable old woman who, as President of the Hospital Board, had the power to wrest from Michael her first success in her fight to become an accepted and successful doctor.