He had not been seen, nor had he left any message at the desk. “Well, then, I’ll have him paged, as we are ready to start,” said Mr. Fabian.
But the boys came back without any news of the missing man. Everyone got out of the cars again and started in different directions in search of their necessary “chauffeur.” By-standers were asked but no information was gained of the man they all were seeking.
“Dear me, if that isn’t just like Ebeneezer!” complained Mrs. Alexander, powdering her nose while she awaited results.
“I don’t see anything else to do, except to carry our luggage back to the hotel and postpone our trip until tomorrow,” said Mr. Fabian.
“Don’t worry, Pa’ll come along soon and wonder why we worried over his delay. He’s sure to give a splendid reason for this absence,” said Dodo.
A few moments after she had spoken, little Mr. Alexander was seen running at top speed along the street. His hat was in his hand and he was mopping his perspiring brow with a large silk handkerchief.
“Eben, what made you leave us? Didn’t you know we were ready to start?” complained his wife, the moment she saw him.
“Yeh, but I couldn’t help it, Maggie. Just as I got your duds to the car, I stepped on a little dog. He yelped so I had to see what ailed him, and that’s how I saw the child what owned the animal.
“If the little shaver hadn’t yelled as hard as the dog, I wouldn’t have gone wid him. But I had to quiet the boy, and the dog limped so I had to carry that. The boy lived a long way down a side street, and then through an alley. But when I got to his home, the dog could jump about and bark, so he is all right again.”
“Good gracious, Pa, did you waste all this time on carrying a mongrel home?” laughed Dodo.