Part 4 (1/2)

”Oh, we'll manage it, dear Mansy, somehow, never fear! We are getting through our difficulties splendidly!”

But when they did get the tub safe under the window--which was accomplished at last--and Alfy had expressed his joy with a loud hurrah, then the new difficulty presented itself in full force. They were afraid to open the lower sash of the window, as the level of the water was just above it.

”How am I to scramble over the upper sash?” she exclaimed; ”and how am I to get down on the other side?”

”Yes! and the room is full of water,” cried Edie from the window above.

”Not full, Edie!” expostulated Alfy.

”Well, there is a great deal all over the floor, and in all the lower rooms,” explained his sister.

”Oh! dear me! what a mess to clear up,” exclaimed Mansy.

”Let me get in and see,” said Alfy st.u.r.dily.

”Do take care, and don't cut yourself with the gla.s.s!” Mansy cried, as she saw him clambering up over the top sash of the window. This he had first pulled down as far as he could, and he also helped himself by the sash lines. The breaking of the gla.s.s might of course prove very dangerous, but he found another difficulty when, having climbed over the sash, he stood a-tiptoe on the bottom of the window frame inside the room, and clung for support to the top sash. How was he to descend? Inside the room was dark, but he thought he saw the gleam of water. He hesitated to jump at hazard, not knowing where he might alight.

”Lower a candle, Edie,” he cried, ”and then I can see my way better!”

So presently down came a lighted candle, bobbing to and fro as the little sister lowered it. Alfy caught it with one hand and held it inside the room. ”Oh! what a mess,” he exclaimed, as he saw the water all over the apartment, with teapot cosy, music, papers, wool-mats, and all kinds of well-known pleasant household things floating despondingly on its muddy surface.

”What shall we do?” cried Mansy from the outside. ”Oh! help me to get indoors, so that I can clear up a bit!”

”I don't see yet how I am to get down, Mansy. The table is too far off for me to jump to it, and the water seems high!”

”Oh! you mustn't get in the water, Master Alfy!” shrieked poor Mansy, ”Oh, I am so tired of this rockety old was.h.i.+n' tub! Can't you get me out, Alfy dear?”

”I'll get you out, Mansy, somehow, never fear,” a.s.sented Alfy cheerily.

”Now, Edie dear, can you let down a chair and some ha.s.socks for me to stand on?”

And the busy girls above tied string to the back of a chair and carefully lowered it, and some ha.s.socks followed.

Alfy soon placed the chair in the room and piled the ha.s.socks on it.

Then lightly stepping on to them, he was able to make his way to the table, and also to the sideboard. Next, by means of chairs and ha.s.socks he made his way to the staircase, and, having hastily mounted it, put his head out of the nearest upstairs window and shouted, ”Hullo, Mansy!”

”Oh! bless the boy!” exclaimed Mansy with a start. ”You have got up there, have you? I do wish I was safe up there, too, Alfy!”

”You soon will be, Mansy,” he replied cheerily.

”Oh! we are glad you've come,” cried his sisters, as he met them and kissed them. ”But how are we to get Mansy up? She can never climb in through the window!”

”She'd fall in the water,” remarked Jane, ”and there would be a pretty to-do!”

”Do you think we could pull the tub up with Mansy in it to the window?”

asked Alfy.

”It would be very heavy,” suggested Jane.