That evening Mr. Keller called at the Martin cottage, he and his wife coming over in answer to a telephone message from Mr. Martin. As the Curlytops had a part in the events of the day, they were allowed to remain up to deliver Mr. Narr’s message in person. Trouble also wanted to stay up, but as he was just getting over a little spell of illness his mother packed him off to bed, hushing his cries by promising him another bear story.
Mr. and Mrs. Keller listened to the tale told by Teddy and Janet. The children delivered the message that had been given them by Mr. Narr about his keys.
“Did he seem angry?” asked the old secretary.
“No, he was laughing,” answered Janet.
“And did he say he’d come to get my keys (which of course are his keys) to-morrow?” Mr. Keller wanted to know.
“He said,” remarked Teddy, trying to think of the exact words used by Mr. Narr, “he said to tell you he’d be over in a day or so.”
“Then he may come to-morrow!” exclaimed Mrs. Keller. “Oh, Harry, what are we going to do? I don’t mind so much about my wedding ring! But what about Mr. Narr’s keys?”
“We shall have to look again for them to-morrow,” said the old gentleman, in a sad and weary voice. “We shall have to look again. But I have no hopes of finding them in the sand. Then I shall have to tell Mr. Keller all about the loss, and he will, very likely, discharge me.”
“He’ll be mean if he does!” burst out Teddy.
“No, little man, it will be only what he thinks is right,” said Mr. Keller. “He will tell me, which is the truth, that I should not have been so careless as to lose the keys. I should have been more careful. But that is my fault. Now the only thing I can do is to look again in the sand.”