“Daddy! Daddy!” cried Meg, tumbling out of bed and running into the hall. “There’s the telephone.”
Father Blossom came out of his room. He had been reading and was fully dressed, for it was not late for grown-up people, only about ten o’clock.
“I’m going, Daughter,” he said. “Perhaps Mother has decided to come out on the late train.”
Meg leaned over the banisters to listen, and Bobby joined her there. The twins did not wake up, for they were sound sleepers.
Father Blossom took down the receiver and said “Hello!” Then they heard him ask a quick, low question or two, and then he laughed. How he laughed! He threw back his head and fairly shouted. Meg and Bobby had to laugh, too, though they had not the faintest idea what the joke was about. 122
When Father Blossom hung the receiver up, he was still laughing. He glanced up and saw Meg and Bobby.
“You’ll get cold. Run back to bed,” he said. “That was Sam telephoning. What do you suppose happened? The cage of monkeys upset in the ring and the door-catch broke and they’re all loose! Sam said half the audience chased them around the tent and it broke up the show.”
“Did they catch them?” asked Meg, her eyes big with interest.
“Not one,” answered her father. “Get into bed immediately, children. Perhaps you’ll meet monkeys on your way to school to-morrow.”
“I wish we could,” murmured Meg, cuddling sleepily into her warm bed. “Wouldn’t that be fun!”