"No," Cousin Jack answered for her, "and I'm jolly well sure we never will again! I've had enough of being 'a child again, just for to-night!' And, if you please, ladies and gentlemen, it's now five o'clock! the jig is up! the game is played out! the ball is over! Here, waiter; bring some ice cream, please. Full-sized plates, all around!"
The amused waiter hurried away on his errand, and Mr. and Mrs. Maynard sat up suddenly, as if relieved of a great responsibility.
"Bring some cake, too," said Mrs. Maynard, "and a pot of tea. Don't you want some tea, Ethel?"
"Indeed, I do, Helen; I'm exhausted. Jack, if you ever propose such a game again!"
"I didn't propose it, my dear! Now, will you look at that! Everything always gets blamed on me!"
And now there was plenty of ice cream for everybody, and the children were allowed to have all they wanted, and they were all glad to get back to their rightful places again.
"But it was fun!" said Marjorie, and then she told Ruth all about the funny things they had done before she arrived on the scene.
Then they all walked around by Ruth's house to take her home, and then they walked around by Bryant Bower to take the Bryants home, and then the Maynards went home themselves.
"I'm going to write Kit all about it," said Marjorie; "she'd have loved that game, if she'd been here."
"She loves any make-believe game," said King. "You write to her, Midget; I've got to write up The Jolly Sandboy paper."