"
"She can't expect to go everywhere we go," said Carl decidedly.
The business on hand this afternoon was nothing more or less than the
erection of a telephone which had been constructed by the boys out of
fruit cans and pieces of old kid gloves. The main difficulty lay in
getting their line across the street, for it was to communicate
between Ikey's room and the star chamber. An attempt had been made
once before, but the result was such a mortifying failure that their
energy and interest flagged for a while.
The trees caused most of the trouble. Their line first caught in one
of these at such a distance from the pavement that while they were
absorbed in getting it off a gentleman who happened to be passing had
his hat suddenly removed. This accident convulsed everybody but Bess,
who in great embarrassment tried to explain that it was not intended
for a practical joke. Finally it was caught and broken by the angry
driver of a market wagon. Carl, who disliked to give anything up, had
ever since been trying to think of a plan.
"There must be some way," he said as he lay on his back looking up at
the sky.
"I know!" cried Bess, seized with an inspiration; "clothes-props!"
"What about them?" asked Ikey doubtfully.
Pages:
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37