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Page 52
The house, which was big enough for the girls to have gone into if
they could have reached it, had a front door and a window on
either side. There was a veranda on which stood three small rustic
benches, quite strong enough to have held the three girls had they
had wings to fly up there. The veranda had a railing around it,
above which hung two hanging-baskets filled with bright flowers.
The door was shut and a keyhole could be distinctly seen.
"There's the keyhole, Mopsy, which I have reason to think will fit
your key," said Uncle Steve.
"But I can't reach up to it," said Marjorie, looking very puzzled.
"What's the house for? Is it for birds?"
"Yes, for three birds that I know of, who wear gingham dresses and
hair ribbons."
"But we don't wear wings," interrupted Marjorie. "Oh, Uncle Steve,
do tell me what that house is for!"
"It's for you, chickabiddy, and if you'd like to go up there I'll
show you a way."
Uncle Steve stepped over to the double trunk, and reaching up
pulled down something, which proved to be a weight hung on the end
of a long cord. The cord reached up to the veranda of the little
house.
"Here," said Uncle Steve, as he put the weight into Marjorie's
hand, "this is perhaps as useful a birthday gift as the key I gave
you. Pull hard, and see what happens."
Marjorie pulled hard, and as she pulled, a rope ladder came
tumbling down from the edge of the little porch. It was a queer-
looking ladder, the sides being of rope and the rounds of wood,
while the top seemed to be securely fastened to the veranda floor.
"There you are," said Uncle Steve; "there's your birthday gift,
and all you have to do is to skip up there, unlock the door, and
take possession."
But instead of doing this, Marjorie, with a squeal of delight,
threw her arms around Uncle Steve's neck.
"You dear, old, blessed uncle!" she cried. "I understand it all
now; but truly I couldn't think how we were ever going to get up
there. It's a lovely surprise, the best I ever had! You are SO
good to me, and Grandma, too!"
Having nearly squeezed the breath out of Uncle Steve, Marjorie
left him, and flying over to Grandma, treated her to a similar
demonstration. And then, with her precious key tightly clasped in
her hand, she started to climb the rather wabbly ladder. Impetuous
Molly was crazy to follow, but Uncle Steve declared that it was
the law of the house that there must never be more than one on the
ladder at a time.
Though Marjorie became accustomed to it afterward, it was not an
easy matter to climb the rope ladder for the first time; but under
Uncle Steve's direction she began to learn the trick of it, and
safely reached the top. Agile Molly scrambled up as if she had
been used to rope ladders all her life; but to timid Stella the
climbing seemed an impossible feat. But Uncle Steve held the
ladder firmly at the bottom, and Marjorie encouraged her from the
top, while Molly threw herself flat on the porch and reached down
a helping hand.
At last the three girls were safely on the little veranda, and the
sensation was as delightful as it was strange. To sit on the
little benches, high above the ground, and look out straight
across the meadow; and then, turning to either side, to see the
great limbs and branches of the old maple-trees, was indeed a
fairy-tale experience.
Over the door swung a quaint little old-fashioned signboard, on
which in gilt letters were the words "Breezy Inn."
With bewildering anticipations of further delight, Marjorie took
her little key and unlocked the door.
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