Billy, Jimmy, Frances, and Lina had been playing "Fox and
Geese." Running around the house they spied the ladder and
saw no owner to deny them.
'Le's clam' up and get on top the porch," suggested Jimmy.
"Aunt Minerva'll put me to bed if I do," said Billy.
"Mother'll make me learn a whole page of the catechism if
I climb a ladder," said Lina.
"My mama'll shut me up in the closet, but our mamas aren't
bound to know 'bout it,"--this from Frances. "Come on,
let's climb up."
"I ain't neverpromise not to clam' no ladder but--" Billy
hesitated.
"You-all 'bout the skeeriest folks they is," sneered Jimmy.
"Mama'll whip me going and coming if she finds out 'bout it,
but I ain't skeered. I dare anybody to dare me to clam' up."
"I dare you to climb this ladder," responded an accommodating
Frances.
"I ain't never tooken a dare yet," boasted the little boy
proudly, his foot on the bottom rung. "Who's going to foller
me?"
"Don't we have fun?" cried a jubilant Frances.
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