Billy says, waitin' till I send word whether they can stop. I
darsn't till I'd seen you, for I can't do nothin', I'm in such a
mess,' says the old lady.

"'So am I, for I can't get in except by the Error! Hyperlink
reference not valid. entry window, and he'll see me,' says Kitty,
gigglin' at the thoughts of Joe.

"'Come down the ladder, there's a dear. I'll pull it round and keep
it stiddy,' says her mother.

"'Oh, ma, don't ask me!' says Kitty, with a shiver. 'I'm dreadfully
scared of ladders since I broke my arm off this very one. It's so
high, it makes me dizzy jest to think of.'

"'Well, then, I'll do the best I can; but I wish them boys was to
Jericho!' says the old lady, with a groan, for she was fat and hot,
had her gown pinned up, and was in a fluster generally. She was
goin' off rather huffy, when Kitty called out,--

"'Stop, ma! I'll come down and help you, only ketch me if I tumble.'

"She looked scared but stiddy, and I'll bet it took as much grit for
her to do it as for one of us to face a battery. It don't seem much
to tell of, but I wish I may be hit if it wasn't a right down
dutiful and clever thing to see done. When the old lady took her off
at the bottom, with a good motherly hug, I found myself huggin' my
rifle like a fool, but whether I thought it was the ladder, or
Kitty, I ain't clear about. 'Good,' thinks I; 'what more do you
want?'