This touched Kitty in a sensitive spot, as he knew it would.

"I'm not!" she cried, indignantly; "I'm as old as you are, so there!"

King didn't contradict this, which would seem to prove them both a bit
sleepy.

"You are, Kitty!" said Marjorie, laughing; "you're older than either of
us! So you tell us what to do to keep awake!"

It was out! Marjorie had admitted that they were sleepy.

King grinned a little sheepishly. "Pooh," he said, "it'll pass over if we
just get interested in something. Let's read aloud to each other."

"That always puts me to sleep," said Kitty, with a fearful and
undisguised yawn.

"Kit! if you do that again, we'll put you out! Now, brace up,--or else go
to bed!"

Kitty braced up. Indeed, Kitty had special powers in this direction, if
she chose to exercise them.

"Pooh, I can brace up better than either of you," she said, confidently;
"and here's how I'm going to do it."

She went over to the big nursery washstand, and turning the cold water
faucet, ran the bowl full, and then plunged her face and hands in.