We came down the fire escape from the fourth floor, and
found the hall window locked. This window was open, and we crawled
in, intending to get out into the hall. That is the absolute truth."
CHAPTER XXIII
ANOTHER RESCUE
The black eyes of the little man suddenly disappeared. They were so
bright and glistening that their disappearance was noticeable. He had
closed them tight and was laughing!
As suddenly as he had laughed, his mirth stopped, and he stared
sternly at the anxious Betty.
"You expect me to believe that?" he asked incredulously.
"It is true," she said quietly.
"True--bah!" The vehemence of his tone quite startled her. "True!
When all you had to do to reach the first floor--had access to the
street been your object--was to let down the folding flight to the
ground."
Betty's jaw dropped. She and Bob looked at each other helplessly.
"We--we never thought of that!" she faltered.
It was true. In her excitement she had not noticed the folding
flight of steps that let down to the ground in an emergency, and for
protection against sneak thieves was always drawn up except during
fire drills. Bob had been equally careless. As for the Littell girls,
like docile sheep, they had never thought to question their leaders.
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