Come on, come on!"
It seemed as if the hours had never lagged so heavily. Eleven o'clock
was the time agreed upon.
Twice Bert found himself napping. Suppose he should go to sleep. The
idea was not to be entertained for a moment. He sat up in the bed and
listened, listened, listened, until at length the welcome strokes
greeted his ear. He was tired and sleepy and stupid and very warm. He
opened his door softly, and went down stairs. He did not dare unlock
the front door, for grandpa's room was just across the hall, and grandpa
always slept with one eye open. He crept through the kitchen, and found
himself in the shed. Was ever anything more fortunate? The outer door
was open.
[Illustration: "_He opened the door softly, and went down stairs_."]
He took his hat from the nail, and just then a plaintive "mew" greeted
his ear.
"Hush! Be still, Cuff," said he, in a whisper.
But Cuff wouldn't be still. She was very glad to see him, and was
determined to tell him so.
"Mew, me-aw," called Billy, the mocking-bird, from his cage above.
"Dear me," thought Bert, "they'll wake father up as sure as the world."
But it was not unusual for Billy to sing in the night. Indeed, his
midnight music was sometimes overpowering. Bert stood very still for a
moment, but could hear no one stirring.
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