Part 16 (1/2)

”We might both of us jump on the bed at the same moment,” said Eric.

”That ought to shake him a good bit, and perhaps he'd begin to yawn.

Oh, jolly, it's a spring mattress; we can give him a great bounce if we jump on together. Now then, Mag, be sure you jump when I do.”

Marjorie, still looking rather terrified, but led on by Eric's indomitable spirit, did spring on the bed, and so heavily that she rolled on to Mr. Wilton's leg. He started, groaned, said ”Down, Gyp!”

in a very angry voice, and once more pursued his way in dreamland, without any idea that two little imps were perched each on one side of his pillow.

”It's too bad,” said Eric. ”The whole morning will go at this rate; it will soon be five o'clock. Oh, I say--pater--father--gov! do wake!”

”You shouldn't say pater or gov,” said Marjorie. ”Father doesn't like it.”

”Much he cares! He doesn't hear anything. He's stone deaf--he's no good at all!”

”Well, we shouldn't say words he doesn't like, even if he is asleep,”

said Marjorie in her properest tones.

”I like that,” said Eric. ”And why mayn't I say pater, I wonder? Pater is the Latin of father. It's a much nicer word than father, and all our fellows say it. You think it isn't respectful because you're an ignorant girl, Maggie, but Julius Caesar used to say pater when he was young, so I suppose I may.”

”Father looks very handsome in his sleep,” said Marjorie, turning her head on one side, and looking sentimentally at her parent.

”He doesn't,” said Eric. ”He looks much better with his eyes open. Oh, I say, I can't stand this! The morning will go, and we'll never get our water-lilies. Father, wake up! Father, it's your birthday! Don't you hear us? Here, Mag, let's begin to jump up and down again on the bed. Couldn't you manage to hop on his leg by accident? You're heavier than me.”

Marjorie and Eric joined hands, the fun entered into their souls, and they certainly jumped with energy.

Mr. Wilton began to have a very bad dream. Gyp, his favorite spaniel, seemed suddenly to have changed into a fiend, and to have seized him by the leg. Finally the dream dissolved itself into a medley of laughter and childish cries. He opened his eyes: two little figures with very red faces and very disordered hair were tumbling about on his bed.

”Eh--what? Is the house on fire?” he gasped.

”Oh, father! At last!” exclaimed Marjorie. She flung herself upon him, and began to kiss him all over his face.

”My dear child--very affectionate of you, no doubt, but why this sudden rush of devotion in the middle of the night?”

”It isn't!” exclaimed Eric in a voice of awful emphasis. ”It's nearly five o'clock!”

”And it's your birthday,” said Marjorie, beginning to kiss him again.

”Yes,” continued Eric, ”it's your birthday, father. _Our_ day, you know.”

The victim in the bed lay quite still for a moment. That much grace he felt he must allow himself to recover from the shock of the announcement. Then he said, as cheerfully as he could speak, ”What did you say the hour was?”

”Close on five o'clock--awfully late,” answered both children, shouting their words into his ears.

”All right; what do you want me to do?”

”To get up at once, and come with us to gather water-lilies.”

”Oh!”