“Yes, I could do that if I had the prescription,” agreed Mrs. Martin. “But I haven’t got that paper. I lost it. If I only had it things wouldn’t be so bad, for it would mean only a few days before I could order new spectacles by mail. But I’ve lost the prescription.”
“Your doctor has a copy,” Mr. Watson said. “Eye doctors always keep copies of the prescriptions they give their patients.”
“Probably Dr. Bangert has a copy of mine,” Mrs. Martin agreed, with a sigh. “But he has gone away on his summer vacation and I don’t know where to reach him. When he gave me the prescription he told me to take good care of it, as he was going away and could not be reached until the fall. I think he has gone hunting in the wilds of Canada.”
“Then it looks as if you would either have to go to another doctor around here and get him to fit you with glasses,” said Mr. Watson, “or else find those that are lost.”
“I don’t want to go to another doctor,” said Mrs. Martin. “I don’t believe anybody but Dr. Bangert could fit my eyes. Oh, I must find those glasses! They can’t be far away.”
“Maybe they got caught on one of the horns of the cows and carried off,” suggested Freddie.
“You think of the funniest things!” laughed Mrs. Watson. “But the cows didn’t come near enough the porch to take my cousin’s glasses. She must have dropped them in some out-of-the-way corner.”
Though once again they searched all over, even in places where Mrs. Martin said she had never been with her glasses, the spectacles could not be found and she was quite in despair.
Having done all he could to help the old lady, Bert decided that he would spend the afternoon fishing, for he was fond of this sport and Mr. Watson had said that in a creek across the meadow from the brook there were good fish to be had.
He had brought his fishing outfit with him, so that all he needed now was some bait, and on the advice of Zeek he took both worms and grasshoppers. The worms he and his brother and Nan dug in the garden, putting the crawling creatures in a baking-powder box, with some earth. To give the worms air Bert punched holes in the top and bottom of the tin box.