Page:Betty Gordon in Washington.djvu/195

Rh minds except as an exciting story to tell at home that afternoon or evening.

"I'll go first," said Bob, stepping out on the fire escape. "All there is to do is to take it easy, don't hurry, and don't push. There's only two flights, so you can't get dizzy."

"Isn't this a lark!" chuckled Bobby, as she and Betty waited for the younger girls to go first after Bob. "I never had so much fun in my life. What's Bob stopping for?"

Bob was working with the window directly over the fire escape on the second floor. The girls caught up with him before he turned with a flushed face.

"The blame thing's locked," he announced. "Isn't that the worst luck! It's a rule of the building that all hall windows be left open unless there's a storm. Well, I suppose we might as well go back. There's no window on the first floor."

"We could climb in there," suggested Betty, pointing to another window, half-opened. "See, Bob, I can reach it easily."

She drew herself up before Bob could stop her, and, raising the window as high as it would go, scrambled over the sill.

"It's fine—come on in," she laughed back at the others. "Cunning office and no one in it. I