“Tramps!” echoed Isabelle, recalling all the outrages of that fraternity which she had ever seen recorded in the newspapers.
“Sounds like some wild animal!” cried Roland, and tried to open the door backwards, in his haste.
“My soul! It’s a cat! My—cat—I—believe!” exclaimed the visitor, wildly.
“Oh! where is Robert? My little boy—my baby!” wailed the anxious mother, as the sounds continued, and grew even fiercer.
Where was he, indeed! Till that moment they had not missed him, but now each face paled with apprehension as his absence was discovered.
“Oo-row-mur-rrow-screech! -s-spst! Ee-e-yo-ouw!”
“Humph! It’s my opinion that that sound and my small brother are connected!” said Bonny, composedly.
“Oh! if they should be!” cried Mrs. Beckwith, now actually sobbing with terror.
CHAPTER X.
ANOTHER LITTLE EPISODE.
“EVEN if they should be, we have lived long enough to know that ‘Humpty-Dumpty’ is all right. He has as many lives as a cat.”