They traded more buttons, first one and then the other guessing right, and finally, with another look at the clock, Mrs. Martin said:
“Come now, Curlytops! Off to bed with you!”
“Can’t we stay up until daddy comes home?” asked Ted.
Mrs. Martin shook her head without looking up.
“Please!” begged Jan. “You know he said he might tell us where we were going to stay this summer. He said so when we were eating supper.”
“Yes, I know he did,” said Mrs. Martin. “But daddy is late to-night. He may not be home for an hour yet, and I can’t have you staying up until then. You can find out in the morning, if he knows then, where we shall spend the summer vacation.”
Ted and Jan looked at one another. They were about to make one last appeal to be allowed to stay up, but a glance at their mother showed them that she would not give in to them.
“Do you think we’ll go to a nice place this vacation?” asked Janet.
“Oh, yes, I think so,” answered Mrs. Martin.
“A place where there’s water, and where we can go in swimming, and have a boat and go camping and—and all that?” asked Ted eagerly.