But you’ve all got to promise to be just as good as good can be, and help us, so Jerry and I can work things. We mustn’t let the aunts or uncles suspect. And we mustn’t let the servants get onto it at all. How many are willing to be good and do just what they are told?”

Their hands came up eagerly.

“All right! Then we’re all set. And the first thing is to stay right here in this room and keep very quiet for a while. We can’t do much till those relatives are done with their meeting downstairs. But you’ve got to keep so quiet they’ll forget all about you, so they won’t come nosing around. I suspect they’ll be around to take some of us home for the night or something, but if any of them come up here hunting you, you just be sitting here quietly playing or reading.”

“Jerry, too?” asked Tryon.

“No, Jerry and I have a lot of things to do, if we’re going to work this thing, so you mustn’t ask any questions, just play along, or look at picture books or read, and act as if you were having a perfectly lovely time, and if they ask you if you want to go home with them, you just say, ‘No, thank you, you’d rather stay with sister!’”

“Aw wight!” said Robin. “But aren’t we going to have any wunch? ’Course we could eat candy!” And he eyed the candy box wistfully.

“Yes,” said Jennifer, looking at her watch, “you’re going to have lunch pretty soon. I think I’ll have it brought up here, just sandwiches and cocoa, and you can pass the candy box afterward twice for dessert.”

“Nat’s nice!” Robin smiled.

“All right, then Karen and Heather can get out the doll’s table and dishes and set the table. You can play that Hazel and Tryon and Robin are your guests coming to lunch. And when the tray comes you can serve everybody. But don’t get into any fights or make any noise, for if you do, maybe Aunt Pet or Aunt Majesta will come up and take you right away home with them, and then all our plans will be spoiled. Now, will you all promise to be good?”

They all promised solemnly.

“All right, then. Go on playing for a few minutes while Jerry and I make plans. Remember, if anybody slips up on his promise we’ll maybe not be able to work things, and we might have to be separated after all.”

Robin bowed solemnly and answered for them all: “Wes. Ve vill!”

Then Jennifer and Jeremy retired to the top of the stairs and sat down, speaking in low voices.

“Jerry, I’ve been thinking. We got to run away!”

“Run away!” said the boy, catching a startled breath. “You mean all of us?”

“Of course!” she said coolly. “We’ve got to. It’s the only way.”

“But how?” He drew his brows in puzzled thought. “Where would we run?”

“Where isn’t so important just now. The thing is to go, and get off before anybody has any idea we’re going, don’t you see?”

“Well, but—with all these kids, how could we? Somebody would be sure to tell those nosy aunts, and we’d have the whole town on us.”

“Listen, Jerry! We’ve got to get them all away where they won’t find us till I’m of age. When I’m of age I can do something, and they can’t stop me. It’s only three months, and I guess we can hide ourselves that long. But it’s got to be snappy or they’ll tie our hands and make a mess of things. I haven’t thought it all out yet, but we’ve got to get away first, and then work it out step by step.”

“But they’ll set up a howl and send all the police in the nation after us,” said Jeremy wisely.

“No,” said Jennifer, “I’ll write a note to Uncle Blake and tell him we are all safe and will come back as soon as I’m of age and that there is no use looking for us for they won’t find us.”

“They’ll look!”

“Maybe. But we’ve got to fix it so they can’t find us. We’ll think about that after we get away.”

“But we’d have to have money.”

“Yes,” said Jennifer. “I’d thought about that.