If Gypsy had only seen him then! And Gypsy was nearer than he thought--in the front door, and coming up the stairs with a great banging and singing and laughing, as nobody but Gypsy could come up stairs.

Tom just put his hand on the window-sill, and gave one leap out on the kitchen roof, and Gypsy burst in, and stopped short.
Tom crouched down against the side of the house, and held his breath.

For about half a minute it was perfectly still.

Then a soft, merry laugh broke out all at once on the air, something as a little brook would splash down in a sudden cascade on the rocks.
"O--oh! Did you ever?
I never _saw_ anything so funny! Oh, dear _me!_" Then it was still again, and then the merry laugh began to spell out the placard.
"Gypsy Breynton.

Hon .-- Hon.