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Page 12
"We'll slide off!" exclaimed Marjorie, aghast at this proposition.
"Oh, no, we won't; there's a ledge at the edge of the roof, and
your heels catch that, and that stops you. You CAN'T go any
further."
"How do you get back?"
"Why, scramble back up the roof, you know. Come on, it's lots of
fun."
"I don't believe Grandma would like it," said Marjorie, a little
doubtfully.
"Oh, pshaw, you're afraid; there's no danger. Come on and try it,
anyhow."
Now Marjorie did not like to be called afraid, for she really had
very little fear in her disposition. So she said: "Well, I'll go
up the ladder and look out, and if it looks dangerous I won't do
it."
"Not a bit of danger," declared Molly. "I'll go up first." Agile
as a sprite, Molly quickly skipped up the ladder, and opened the
trap-door in the barn roof. Sticking her head up through, she soon
drew her thin little body up after it and called to Marjorie to
follow. Marjorie was a much heavier child, but she sturdily
climbed the ladder, and then with some difficulty clambered out on
the roof.
"Isn't it gay?" cried Molly, and exhilarated by the lofty height,
the novel position, and the excitement of the moment, Marjorie
thought it was.
"Now," went on Molly, by way of instruction, "sit down beside me
right here at the top. Hang on with your hands until I count three
and then let go, and we'll slide straight down the roof."
Marjorie obeyed directions, and sat waiting with a delightful
feeling of expectancy.
"One, two, three!" counted Molly, and at the last word the two
girls let go their grasp and slid.
Swiftly and lightly the slender little Molly slid to the gutter of
the eaves of the roof, caught by her heels, and stopped suddenly,
leaning against the slanted roof, comfortably at her ease.
Not so Marjorie. She came swiftly down, and, all unaccustomed to
motion of this sort, her feet struck the gutter, her solid little
body bounced up into the air, and instead of falling backward
again, she gave a frightened convulsive movement, and fell
headlong to the ground.
Quick as a flash, Molly, when she saw what had happened, scrambled
back up the roof with a wonderful agility, and let herself down
through the skylight, and down the ladder like lightning. She
rushed out of the barn, to where Marjorie lay, and reached her
before Carter did, though he came running at the first sounds of
Marjorie's screams.
"I'm not hurt much," said Marjorie, trying to be brave; "if you'll
help me, Carter, I think I can walk to the house."
"Walk nothin'," growled Carter; "it's Miss Mischief you are for
sure! I thought you had outgrown your wild ways, but you're just
as bad as ever! What'll your grandma say?"
Molly stood by, decidedly scared. She didn't know how badly
Marjorie was hurt, and she longed to comfort her, and tell her how
sorry she was that she had urged her to this mischief, but Carter
gave her no opportunity to speak. Indeed, it was all she could do
to keep up with the gardener's long strides, as he carried
Marjorie to the house. But Molly was no coward, and she bravely
determined to go to the house with them, and confess to Mrs.
Sherwood that she was to blame for the accident.
But when they reached the door, and Grandma Sherwood came out to
meet them, she was so anxious and worried about Marjorie that she
paid little attention to Molly's efforts at explanation.
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