The next thing I knew I was awakened rather forcibly by loud screams and yells from the garden just outside the window. When I got my wits together and looked, the first thing I noticed was that Duchess was nowhere around. About that time, Johnny burst into the room, tears streaming down his face, and crying as though his heart would break. Close on his heels was Mary, also crying, and Jim was bringing up the rear.
"What in the world's the matter?" I asked.
"Oh, Ralph," Mary sobbed, "It's Duchess ... she's gone!"
"She just flew right up in the air!" Johnny added.
"What do you mean, 'flew right up in the air', what are you all talking about?"
"She got out of the window, Dad," Jim said. "We were out in the garden talking, and I guess she heard us. Looks like she went to the window, scratched the screen loose, and out she went."
"Oh, Ralph, it was just horrible," Mary sobbed. "That poor thing, going up just like a balloon ... getting smaller and smaller."
"Yeah, Dad," Johnny sniffed, "We watched her till she went clear out of sight ... she was kickin' her legs and we could hear her barkin' too."
"For heaven's sake, Ralph," Mary cried, "don't you go near that window!"
"Yes, you'd go up too, Dad," Jim added.