“I admire your language, Bobs,” laughed Jess, following her.
The others went, too. Of course it was forbidden territory, and why shouldn’t they want to go? That was only human nature.
Besides, as they climbed the stairs, through the narrow windows they caught glimpses of the rainbow and the clouds, now breaking up into great beds of vari-colored mist.
“Hurry up!” cried Bobby, in the lead. “It’s just wonderful up here.”
They had left the door at the foot of the long, winding flight open. But scarcely had they disappeared when another figure appeared in the corridor which they had left. Purt Sweet, too, had been kept after school by Professor Dimp.
The youth saw the girls ascend the stair. The chance was too obvious to neglect. Although usually taking Bobby’s jokes and the others’ laughter good-naturedly, he had been spurred by Lily Pendleton’s remarks to a desire to “get square.”
And here was opportunity before him. Purt hurried forward, softly closed the door behind the girls, and turned the key in the lock.
[CHAPTER XVI—FIVE IN A TOWER]
But the girls climbing the stairs to see the rainbow had no idea that anybody below was playing a trick on them. After school was dismissed and the pupils left the building, and the teachers were gone, there was nobody but old John, the janitor, on the premises.
From any other floor he could be summoned by alarm bells. But there were no push-buttons in the tower. Therefore, when Purt Sweet turned the key, and stole away from the door at the bottom of the tower stairs, he had imprisoned the five girls as effectually as though they were in the tower of some ancient castle.