"Oh, Tommy, let me up, you wretch!" Phyllis struggled, but she was quite powerless.
"Janet, come and help me," she called. "Tom is killing me."
"What good do you think Janet can do?" Tom inquired calmly, as Janet could be heard running down the stairs.
"I don't know," Phyllis confessed, "but she will do something. Oh, Janet, save me! Look what Tommy is doing to me."
Janet stood in the doorway and laughed, then she made a dive for her brother, but instead of trying to use strength she tickled him.
"Here, stop; that's no fair," he protested, but Janet only renewed her efforts, and Phyllis, taking advantage of his helplessness, jumped up. After that it was only a matter of seconds before Tommy was on the sofa completely muffled by cushions.
"Pax, pax, I'll be good," he panted. "What do you want me to do?"
"Say you are never going home," Phyllis commanded.
"I'm never going home," Tom repeated meekly.
They let him up, and he tried to smooth his hair and straighten his tie.