And now Gwendolyn saw that Jane, though she was only feigning sleep, was ignorant of what was happening.  For her double equipment of faces had its disadvantages.  Even when upright she had not been able to roll one eye forward while its mate was on guard in the rear.  And reclining flat upon her back, she could not rumble her eyes forward to her front face for the reason that they would not roll up-hill.  Both stayed in the back of her head, where they could see only the ground.

Very cautiously Puffy put his fore-paws to Jane’s ear—­suddenly separated them—­and waited.

A moment.  Then, “Well, finding this out, you can wager I don’t stay heels over head no more!” cried the Policeman.  And with a wriggle and a twist and a bound, he gave a half somersault and stood on his feet!

At once, the bottoms of his trouser-legs came down over his shoes, his coat-tails fell about him properly, uncovering his shield and his belt, and his club took its place at his right side.  “Ouch!” he exclaimed.  And began to scratch hard at the spot just between his shoulder-blades.  At the same time, the tears that were in his cap flowed out and down his face.  So that he seemed to be weeping.

The Doctor, leaning close beside Gwendolyn, was all sympathy.  “There is no reason to feel bad,” he said kindly.  “The operation was successful.”

“Feel bad!” repeated the Policeman.  “Why, I’m laughing.  Ha!  Ha!  We put a flea in her ear!”

At that, Jane began to laugh “Oh, laws!” she exclaimed, sleeve to mouth once more.  “Oh, I never heard the like of it!”

“Rar!” growled Puffy, delighted.  “The plan is working!  See her growl!”

“That flea went in one ear and came out the other,” declared the little old gentleman, poking Jane with the toe of a worn shoe.

Jane laughed the harder.  “Oh, it’s awful funny!” she cried, rocking herself to and fro—­and steadily increasing her girth.  “Oh!  Oh!  Oh!”

“We’ve proved that you’re empty-headed,” said Puffy.

And now the nurse was seized by a very paroxysm of mirth.  Both faces distorted, she whopped over and over.

“That’s right!  Split your sides alaughin’,” cried the Piper.

At these words, sudden terror showed on her face.  For the first time she saw the trap into which she had been led!

Yet she could not check her laughter.  “Oh, ho!” she gasped hysterically; “oh!—­”

It was her last.  Black sateen could stand no more.

She gave a final and feeble rock.  Both revolving faces paled.  Then there sounded a loud pop—­like the bursting of an automobile tire.  Next, a ripping—­

“Look!” cried Gwendolyn.

There were great rents down the front seams of Jane’s waist!

The nurse guessed what had happened, and clutched desperately at the gaping seams with both fat hands—­now in front, now at the sides, striving to hold the rips together.