THE THIRD CHAPTER
THE DOCTOR'S HOME
ONE Monday afternoon towards the end of April my father asked me
to take some shoes which he had mended to a house on the other
side of the town. They were for a Colonel Bellowes who was very
particular.
I found the house and rang the bell at the front door. The
Colonel opened it, stuck out a very red face and said, "Go round
to the tradesmen's entrance--go to the back door." Then he
slammed the door shut.
I felt inclined to throw the shoes into the middle of his
flower-bed. But I thought my father might be angry, so I didn't.
I went round to the back door, and there the Colonel's wife met
me and took the shoes from me. She looked a timid little woman
and had her hands all over flour as though she were making bread.
She seemed to be terribly afraid of her husband whom I could
still hear stumping round the house somewhere, grunting
indignantly because I had come to the front door. Then she asked
me in a whisper if I would have a bun and a glass of milk. And I
said, "Yes, please." After I had eaten the bun and milk, I
thanked the Colonel's wife and came away. Then I thought that
before I went home I would go and see if the Doctor had come back
yet. I had been to his house once already that morning. But I
thought I'd just like to go and take another look. My squirrel
wasn't getting any better and I was beginning to be worried about
him.
So I turned into the Oxenthorpe Road and started off towards the
Doctor's house. On the way I noticed that the sky was clouding
over and that it looked as though it might rain.
I reached the gate and found it still locked. I felt very
discouraged. I had been coming here every day for a week now.
The dog, Jip, came to the gate and wagged his tail as usual, and
then sat down and watched me closely to see that I didn't get in.
I began to fear that my squirrel would die before the Doctor came
back. I turned away sadly, went down the steps on to the road and
turned towards home again.
I wondered if it were supper-time yet. Of course I had no watch
of my own, but I noticed a gentleman coming towards me down the
road; and when he got nearer I saw it was the Colonel out for a
walk. He was all wrapped up in smart overcoats and mufflers and
