A Lady and a Gardener

Doctor Y was an old time physician who was a member of the establishment in Lotus City when I arrived to practice in the 1960's. In a moment of utter madness  he had purchased a large old Tudor mansion with  acreage in the high end district of the city. It was a beautifully landscaped property and he did the gardening work himself rather than hiring help as most of his neighbors were wont to do.  He gardened in baggy cast-off trousers  and an old slouch hat. Pruning, spraying, weeding, applying mountains of fertilizers and mulch---he toiled in the soil with his customary efficiency.
       A newcomer to the district and a neighbor seemed to take particular interest to his work habits and she eventually came to doctor Y's fence and hailed him.
        She said,  " I've noticed how well you work and wondered if you might consider working as well for me. I'm close by. What do you charge? "
         He thought for a moment and said,  " The standard amount, but the lady feeds me lunch. "
         " Oh, " said the newcomer,  " I can feed you lunch. "
         "But " he said ," The lady lets me sleep with her. "  I don't know whether it was the slouch hat or the dirty baggy pants, or the impertinence, but that seemed  to bring cessation to the negotiations.
           It was said that despite the perhaps infelicity at the time, they became good friends and enjoyed a laugh about it all. It is however likely that she would always be hesitant to become his patient.