want her to see me this way!"

"Mother wouldn't be coming up the ladder!" declared Bunny. "What would
she be coming up the ladder for?"

"That's so!" agreed Charlie. "I guess she wouldn't."

"But somebody's coming up!" declared Sue, and this was very plain to be
seen. The ladder shook more and more.

Wonderingly the children watched it, and then there came into sight,
above the roof of the sun parlor, the head and shoulders of the
painter. He looked surprised as he saw the children, and then a cheerful
smile spread over his face as he said:

"Well, you've been getting daubed up, I see!"

"Ye-yes," faltered Bunny. "We got some of your paint on us!"

"'Tisn't my paint!" laughed the painter. "It's your father's, Bunny. I
got this paint down at his boat dock to paint the roof of this sun
parlor. I don't mind how much of it you daub on yourselves. 'Tisn't my
paint, you know!"

"But we don't want it on us!" exclaimed Sue. "Oh, I fell in the brook
and I got all muddy and now I'm all covered with paint! Oh, dear!"

Sue was almost crying again, and the painter who at first had thought
the children were merely playing, now began to understand that something
was wrong.