But as my wife's sprained ankle is scarcely sound enough as yet to trust her on a ladder, I am going to try to swing her down in this hammock.

Patty, I think I'll send you down first, for practice." "All right, Uncle Ted," said Patty, and still clasping her bag of valuables, and wearing Miss Todd's Paris hat, she seated herself in the hammock, exactly according to Uncle Ted's directions, and he and Mr.
Carleton carefully let her down by the long ropes which had been fastened at each end of the novel elevator.
Mr.Harris was waiting for her, and he landed her safely on the steps of the lower veranda.
Next Aunt Grace was lowered, and after that another hammock was rigged, and all of the ladies were taken down that way, as they preferred it to the ladders.
The men came down the ladders and brought the little children in their arms, and then the queer-looking crowd gathered in the sitting-room to discuss the situation.

The men concluded that the fire was occasioned by a mouse having nibbled at some matches which were kept in the closet under the stairs.
As the shelves and walls and most of the contents of the closet were charred, it was assumed that the fire had been smouldering for some hours, and if Mr.Harris had not discovered it as soon as he did, it would doubtless have been followed by more disastrous consequences.
The stairs from the first to the second floor were entirely burned away, and except that the walls and carpets of both halls were smoked and discolored, no other harm was done.
But as that staircase was the only one connecting the first and second floors, the victims of the fire found themselves in the peculiar position of not being able to go up-stairs.
"How perfectly ridiculous," exclaimed Aunt Grace, "to build a house with no back stairs.

I always said that was the greatest flaw about this house.
What _can_ we do ?" "As it is nearly five o'clock," said Uncle Ted, "I propose that we have breakfast, and consider that the day has begun.

Then perhaps I can get somebody to build stairs or steps of some kind by night." "But we must go up-stairs," said Nan, who had covered her wigless head with a bandanna kerchief, bound round like a turban; "we want to dress properly before we breakfast." "And we want to finish our sleep," said Gertrude Carleton.