"Oh, what will Jane say?" he breathed fearfully.
"Jane? I don't care for her," said Joel scornfully. "It's Mamsie," and he swallowed hard.
"Perhaps she won't care," cried Van, leaving his knees to take care of themselves, in alarm lest Joel was going off again.
"And just see how you've mussed up the bedspread," Percy couldn't help saying, to relieve his chagrin over the failure to make the pillow shams look nicely, and he drew off and pointed to it tragically. "It looks as if crocodiles had been all over it," he declared, hunting for the worst thing he could think of.
Joel and Van rolled fearful eyes all over the bed.
"I'm going to Mamsie!" was all Joel said, as he rolled over the edge and disappeared from the room.
"Oh, wait," screamed Van. Then he rolled off his side of the bed, took two big steps, and stood quite still in the middle of the floor.
"You've got to go with him and help tell," said Percy pleasantly, as if proposing the most delightful thing. But Van didn't stir.
"Aren't you ashamed!" cried Percy, with a sniff. "I'd like to know if Polly will think it's nice for you to sneak out of it, Van Whitney."
"Ow!" squealed Van. He shot out into the hall, and without giving himself time to think, ran as hard as he could to join Joel in Mother Fisher's room.