He recognized the voice, at once, as belonging to the girl whom he had been discussing with the Colonel, and it was so full of terror that he rushed quickly to the door, prepared to rescue her from some dire peril.
"What can be the matter?" he thought, frightened.
At the door he met Madge, white of face and startled, coming in.
"Why, Madge! What is it?"
She leaned against the writing-table, gasping. It was plain enough that she had been greatly frightened.
"Wait till I git my breath," she said; and then: "They got us into a little room, and, all of a sudden, we started skallyhootin' fer th' roof—room an' all!"
Frank fell back, relieved, and trying not to show amusement.
"That was the elevator," he explained. "A machine to carry you upstairs and save you the work of climbing."
"Dellaw!" exclaimed the girl, not yet entirely calm. "As if I couldn't walk! Thought we was blowed up by another dynamighty bomb!"
Miss Alathea entered hurriedly, looking about the room, in evident distress. At sight of Madge she gave a great sigh of relief. "My dear, I'm so sorry you were frightened!"