Page:Ballinger Price--Us and the Bottle Man.djvu/164

Rh "Is Katy telling the truth?"

And then we both leaped on her from the stairs. When she ducked her head up from our hugs, the Bottle Man was standing in the doorway, looking queer.

"Ailsa!" he said; and that really did floor us, because we knew we'd never even mentioned her existence to him. She stood staring, and then put her hand up against her throat, exactly like somebody in a book.

"Andrew!" she said, in a faint little voice.

Mother looked at them, and then said:

"Bedtime, chicks! Come along!" and went up with us.

It was quite weird, going to bed at nine o'clock in the morning. We pulled down all the shades so we could sleep, though I don't really think we needed to, because I know that as soon as I shut my eyes I was sound asleep. 146