going to do?" asked Charles suspiciously.
Miss Price looked a little taken aback. "Why, go with you. Unless, perhaps,
you go to the Roman Remains. That is a little far-"
"I think," said Charles, "we should go somewhere where Paul can
come too."
Miss Price looked surprised. "Well, of course, that would be nicer. I just
thought-that sometimes you and Carey like to do things on your own-"
"No," said Carey firmly, "we like Paul with us. Always."
Miss Price looked really surprised at this. And so did Paul. He sat with his
porridge spoon aslant, dripping milk down the front of his jersey.
"Paul!" said Miss Price sharply. Paul came to and swallowed the porridge,
and Miss Price wiped off the drips.
"Well, children," said Miss Price at the end of breakfast, "you
must make your own plans. I have my music lessons, but I shall be free by lunch
time. Go to the bathroom, please, Paul."
Carey and Charles went out in the garden to wait for Paul.
He emerged with a burst almost immediately, his voice raised in a tuneless rendering
of "Hark the Herald Angels Sing." Quickly and silently Charles and
Carey took him each by an arm and pulled him through the hedge into the meadow.
They walked him out of earshot of the house, and then they sat him down in the
long grass, still holding him.
"Paul," said Carey sternly, in a fair imitation of Aunt Beatrice's
voice, "it's no good hedging. Charles and I know all."
Paul looked bewildered and tried to pull his arms free.
"You and Miss Price," went on Carey, "have been off on the bed.
It's no good lying. Charles and I saw."
Paul looked unperturbed. "Did you see us go?" he asked.
"Never mind," said Carey darkly.
Paul, sensing their mood, sat still. He just looked bored like a pony tied to
a stall.
"Well?" said Carey. "What have you to say?"
It seemed Paul had nothing to say. He fidgeted with his feet and did not look
even interested.
"Have you been often?"
"No," said Paul, making a not very determined effort to pull his wrist
free, "we were only trying it."
"Is this the first time you've tried it?"
"Yes."
"Did it work all right?" asked Charles. He sounded more friendly suddenly.
"Yes."
Carey let go Paul's wrist. "Where did you go, Paul?"
Paul smiled.
"Tell us, Paul," urged Carey. "We're sure to find out."
"Guess," said Paul.
"All right. You must answer 'yes' or 'no,' and you can say 'sort of.'"
"Was it in the western hemisphere?" asked Charles.
"No," said Paul.
"Was it the eastern hemisphere?" asked Carey.
"No," said Paul.
"Then it wasn't in the world!" exclaimed Charles.
"Yes. It was in the world," said Paul.
"Well, then it must have been in the western or the eastern hemisphere."
"No," said Paul. "It wasn't anywhere like that."
"He doesn't know what hemisphere means," Charles suggested.
Paul looked stubborn. "Yes, I know what it means."
"What does it mean?"
"Well-it means- It doesn't mean Blowditch."
"Is that where you went?"
"Yes."
"You only went as far as Blowditch?"
"Yes."
"Why, you could walk there," exclaimed Charles.
"It was only to see if it worked," explained Paul.
"Did you ask Miss Price if you could try it?"
"No. She asked me. She said: 'Let's give it a little twist. I don't suppose
it still works.' "
"Spells don't wear out," said Carey.
"How do you know?" asked Charles.
"Well, it stands to reason," replied Carey.
They were silent awhile. Then Carey said tolerantly: "I can understand
how it happened. But I don't think it's at all fair. And I never have thought
it fair that Paul was the only one who could work it."
"Well, it was his knob," said Charles. "We mustn't grumble. There
are people who would give anything for a magic bed-knob, whoever had to work
it."
"Yes," agreed Carey, "I
Miss Price looked a little taken aback. "Why, go with you. Unless, perhaps,
you go to the Roman Remains. That is a little far-"
"I think," said Charles, "we should go somewhere where Paul can
come too."
Miss Price looked surprised. "Well, of course, that would be nicer. I just
thought-that sometimes you and Carey like to do things on your own-"
"No," said Carey firmly, "we like Paul with us. Always."
Miss Price looked really surprised at this. And so did Paul. He sat with his
porridge spoon aslant, dripping milk down the front of his jersey.
"Paul!" said Miss Price sharply. Paul came to and swallowed the porridge,
and Miss Price wiped off the drips.
"Well, children," said Miss Price at the end of breakfast, "you
must make your own plans. I have my music lessons, but I shall be free by lunch
time. Go to the bathroom, please, Paul."
Carey and Charles went out in the garden to wait for Paul.
He emerged with a burst almost immediately, his voice raised in a tuneless rendering
of "Hark the Herald Angels Sing." Quickly and silently Charles and
Carey took him each by an arm and pulled him through the hedge into the meadow.
They walked him out of earshot of the house, and then they sat him down in the
long grass, still holding him.
"Paul," said Carey sternly, in a fair imitation of Aunt Beatrice's
voice, "it's no good hedging. Charles and I know all."
Paul looked bewildered and tried to pull his arms free.
"You and Miss Price," went on Carey, "have been off on the bed.
It's no good lying. Charles and I saw."
Paul looked unperturbed. "Did you see us go?" he asked.
"Never mind," said Carey darkly.
Paul, sensing their mood, sat still. He just looked bored like a pony tied to
a stall.
"Well?" said Carey. "What have you to say?"
It seemed Paul had nothing to say. He fidgeted with his feet and did not look
even interested.
"Have you been often?"
"No," said Paul, making a not very determined effort to pull his wrist
free, "we were only trying it."
"Is this the first time you've tried it?"
"Yes."
"Did it work all right?" asked Charles. He sounded more friendly suddenly.
"Yes."
Carey let go Paul's wrist. "Where did you go, Paul?"
Paul smiled.
"Tell us, Paul," urged Carey. "We're sure to find out."
"Guess," said Paul.
"All right. You must answer 'yes' or 'no,' and you can say 'sort of.'"
"Was it in the western hemisphere?" asked Charles.
"No," said Paul.
"Was it the eastern hemisphere?" asked Carey.
"No," said Paul.
"Then it wasn't in the world!" exclaimed Charles.
"Yes. It was in the world," said Paul.
"Well, then it must have been in the western or the eastern hemisphere."
"No," said Paul. "It wasn't anywhere like that."
"He doesn't know what hemisphere means," Charles suggested.
Paul looked stubborn. "Yes, I know what it means."
"What does it mean?"
"Well-it means- It doesn't mean Blowditch."
"Is that where you went?"
"Yes."
"You only went as far as Blowditch?"
"Yes."
"Why, you could walk there," exclaimed Charles.
"It was only to see if it worked," explained Paul.
"Did you ask Miss Price if you could try it?"
"No. She asked me. She said: 'Let's give it a little twist. I don't suppose
it still works.' "
"Spells don't wear out," said Carey.
"How do you know?" asked Charles.
"Well, it stands to reason," replied Carey.
They were silent awhile. Then Carey said tolerantly: "I can understand
how it happened. But I don't think it's at all fair. And I never have thought
it fair that Paul was the only one who could work it."
"Well, it was his knob," said Charles. "We mustn't grumble. There
are people who would give anything for a magic bed-knob, whoever had to work
it."
"Yes," agreed Carey, "I
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