jus' like you, Frances," Jimmy exclaimed; "you all time
got to fall down and get paint on your dress so we can't 'ceive nobody.
Now our mamas bound to know 'bout us clamming up here."

"They would know it anyhow," mourned Lina; "we'll never get this paint
off of our feet. We had better get right down and see if we can't wash
some of it off."

While they were talking the owner of the ladder, who had not noticed
them--and was deaf in the bargain--had quietly removed it from the
back-porch and carried it around to the front of the house.

The children looked at each other in consternation when they perceived
their loss.

"What we goin' to do now?" asked Billy.

"If this ain't just like Billy, all time got to perpose to clam' a
ladder and all time got to let the ladder get loose from him," growled
Jimmy. "We done cooked a goose egg, this time. You got us up here,
Billy, how you going to get us down?"

"I didn't, neither."

"Well, it's Miss Minerva's house and she's your aunt and we's your
company and you got to be 'sponsible."

"I can clam' down this-here post," said the responsible party.

"I can climb down it, too," seconded Frances.

"You can't clam' down nothing at all," said Jimmy contemptuously. "Talk
'bout you can clam' down a post; you'd fall and bust yourself wide open;
you 'bout the clumsiest girl there is; 'sides, your legs 're too fat."

"We can holla," was Lina's suggestion.

"And have grown folks laughing fit to pop their sides open? I'm 'shame'
to go anywheres now 'cause folks all time telling me when I'm going
to dye some more Easter eggs! Naw, we better not holler," said Jimmy.
"Ain't you going to do nothing, Billy?"

"I'll jest slide down this-here post and git the painter man to bring
his ladder back. Y' all wait up here."

Billy's solution of the difficulty seemed the safest, and they were soon
released from their elevated prison.

"I might as well go home and be learning the catechism," groaned Lina.

"I'm going to get right in the closet soon's I get to my house," said
Frances.

"Go on and put on your night-shirt, Billy." Billy took himself to the
bath-room and scrubbed and scrubbed; but the paint refused to come off.
He tiptoed by the kitchen where his aunt was cooking dinner and ran into
his own room.

He found the shoes and stockings which were reserved for Sunday wear,
and soon had them upon his little feet.

Miss Minerva rang the dinner-bell and he walked quietly into the