“I shall be glad when it is ended,” said Mrs. Martin, as she carefully carried the precious old books of pictures upstairs with her.
“What are you going to do with them, my dear?” asked her husband, as he noticed what she was doing.
“I thought I’d have them handy so I could pick them up and run out with them in case our house caught fire during the night.”
“Oh, nonsense!” laughed Mr. Martin. “Nothing is going to happen!”
But it did. Not that night, nor the next night, but before very long, as you shall read.
Ted and Janet, with Trouble also, were very busy the next day, going over their toys and playthings to pick out the things they wanted to take on the tour with them. Jan had a number of dolls, a ball, some books, a few things she thought her dolls might need and even a carriage. Ted had picked out some books, his top, a pair of roller skates and a bow and arrows.
“Why, children, you can’t take all those things!” laughed their mother. “There wouldn’t be room in the auto, for one thing, and, besides, you will have no time to play with your toys. We shall be traveling most of the day, and at night you’ll want to sleep. Don’t take any of those things.”
After some talk Ted and Janet agreed to limit the toys they would take with them. Janet picked out the doll she liked best and one book, and Ted took a ball and a book. As for Trouble——
Well, by the time Mrs. Martin had settled on what the two older children could take, she had forgotten about Trouble. Then, all of a sudden, she remembered him.
“Where is William?” she asked.