But the girls were not sleepy. They declared they didn’t care if they never slept again so long as Madaline was all right, and when they finally did turn into bunks they placed the adventuress safely and snugly in the buckboard, between the two largest girls, Corene and Isabel.
“You won’t drop down any more cracks this time,” declared Corene.
“Wasn’t it awful woozy down there?” asked Julia.
“Not a bit. Just nice and tight and you couldn’t even hear the rain,” said Madaline.
“I hope you didn’t upset my woodpile,” called out Julia.
“And I had a pretty fern growing in a tomato can. I’ll bet you smashed it,” charged Louise.
“Children, dear, try to quiet down,” entreated the director. She could not be severe, for indeed she had been a very badly frightened young woman in the hour just passing.
“Tell us a story?” begged Julia.
“Yes, do, and then maybe we’ll doze off,” bribed Margaret.
“Very well, if you promise to keep quiet and try to get to sleep, I will,” agreed Miss Mackin.