Meanwhile Bedelia had been dried and put to bed. Her plush coat had suffered considerably from the wetting and she was in a decidedly hysterical condition. Therefore, the canary bird who could hop around in his cage and sing after being wound up, made a flying trip to the library to consult Dr. Owl, who sat all the time perched on the helmet of Minerva over one of the book cases.
The Doctor never made outside cases, as he found it quite impossible to fly while hampered with such an incumbrance as the head of Minerva, to which an unkind fate had firmly attached him.
Dr. Owl listened to the canary bird’s message with a very wise expression, after which he closed his eyes, ruffled up his feathers and to all intents and purposes went to sleep. Only he could not stand on one foot as owls usually do at such a time as both of his claws were solidly annexed to Minerva’s helmet.
Presently the canary bird grew impatient and as he was still more than half wound up began to sing at the top of his voice. This had an immediate effect, for Dr. Owl promptly sat up and inquired sweetly if the canary bird had supposed him to be asleep. And before the bird had time to answer that it looked very much like it, had hastily added that in moments of deep meditation over complicated cases he always closed his eyes. He then selected a prescription, picking it out at random from a little basket at his side and remarking as he did so, “It really doesn’t matter in the least which one you take, you know. There isn’t the smallest chance in the world of your ever getting it put up. Fifty dollars, please.” The canary having come without his pocketbook, he had been in such haste, requested that it be charged to Peter Pan, Esq., Left Window Seat, The Nursery. After which he bowed very politely and flew away with the precious and rather costly bit of paper in his beak, and reached the nursery in a somewhat anxious frame of mind, as he felt himself rapidly running down and feared that he would not have time enough to get to his cage before giving out altogether.
CHAPTER XVIII.
Bedelia Becomes Literary.
