To insist upon Dr. Rogers following it, too, was a
matter of course.
"I shall need an escort," said Aunt Caroline to that astonished
physician, "and you will do very nicely. If Benis is off his head,
as you suggest, it is my plain duty to look into the matter and your
plain duty, as his medical adviser, to accompany me. I am a woman
who demands little from her fellow creatures, knowing perfectly well
that she won't get it, but I naturally refuse to undertake the
undivided responsibility of a deranged nephew galavanting, by your
own orders, Doctor, at the ends of the earth."
"I did not say he was deranged," began the doctor helplessly, "and
you said you didn't believe me anyway."
"Don't quote me to excuse yourself." Aunt Caroline sailed serenely
on. "At least preserve the courage of your convictions. There is
certainly something the matter with Benis. He has answered none of
my letters. He has completely ignored my lettergrams. To my telegram
of Thursday telling him that I had been compelled to discharge my
third cook since Mabel for wiping dishes on a hand towel, he replied
only by silence. And the telegraph people say that the message was
never delivered owing to lack of address. Easy as I am to satisfy,
things like this cannot be allowed to continue. My nephew must be
found."
"But we don't know where to look for him," objected her victim
weakly.
Aunt Caroline easily rose superior to this.
"We have a map, I hope? And Vancouver, heathenish name! must be
marked on it somewhere.
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