“Sure it would be underhanded! But sometimes being underhanded isn’t such a bad thing to be.”
So persuaded by the astute Josie, Mary Louise agreed to stop at Dr. Coles’s office and have a little talk with him concerning her grandfather.
“Don’t tell him what you think is the matter,” Josie whispered while they waited their turn to see the young doctor. “Just tell him you are a little uneasy about the old gentleman and for him to step around in a friendly way and look him over. Then, when he gives his verdict, you have a plain talk with Danny and make him realize it is not the true Colonel Hathaway who is behaving this way. Danny has disposition enough to carry it off without a murmur if he knows you know that your grandfather is simply suffering from a slight—er—er—derangement.”
“All right! I’ll do what you say if Dr. Coles thinks he has some brain trouble that is making him do this way. I do hope Grandpa Jim’s mind is not really failing.”
“Well, I’d a deal rather his mind would fail than his own kind heart. I’d hate to think that my dear old friend was just plain mean for meanness’ sake. I’d much rather think he was a bit batty.”
Mary Louise sighed and smiled in spite of herself. Josie was so simple and natural and spoke her mind so honestly and directly that there was no getting hurt with her, although it did seem a little heartless for her to speak of Colonel Hathaway as “off his bean” and a “bit batty.”
Dr. Coles was as direct as Josie and immediately grasped what Mary Louise wanted him to do and promised to do it that very evening.
“I’ll make an evening call, coming in quite naturally and asking to see you and Mr. Dexter as well as the Colonel,” he suggested.
“Exactly!” put in Josie. “Stethoscopes and blood pressure tests can follow later.”
“Now I feel better,” sighed Mary Louise as they left the doctor’s office. “Let’s go get an ice cream soda. I haven’t had the heart for one for weeks.”