“Let’s keep the mice in their cages,” said Clover, and as he spoke he dropped his.

“Now see what you’ve done!” said the parrot.

“I didn’t hurt it,” said Clover.  “Come on now.”

“Yes, come on,” said Burnett.  “It’s long after ten o’clock.  You want to remember that even roof gardens are not eternally on tap.”

“Well, I’m trying to hurry all I can,” said Mitchell.  “I’m the picture of patience scurrying for dear life only unable to lay hands on her gloves.”

“I don’t catch what’s the trouble,” said Aunt Mary to Jack.

[Image:  Illustration 5]

      “The carriage stopped three hundred feet below the level of a
                              roof-garden.”

“Nothing’s the trouble,” said Jack, “everything’s fine and dandy.  We’re going out now.  Time of your life, Aunt Mary, time of your life!”

They telephoned for a carriage and all got in.  Then Clover slammed the door.

“Now see what you’ve done!” said the parrot.

“Is he going to keep saying that?” Burnett asked.

“I don’t know,” said Jack.  “It comes in pretty pat, don’t it?”

“Makes me think of my mother,” said Clover.  “I wish it wouldn’t.”

“I don’t catch who’s sayin’ what,” said Aunt Mary.

“Nobody’s saying anything, Miss Watkins,” roared Mitchell; “we are all talking airy nothings just to pass the time o’ day.”

The carriage stopped three hundred feet below the level of a roof garden.

“We get out here,” said Burnett.

They all got out and went up in an elevator.

“Seems to be a good many goin’ to the same place,” said Aunt Mary.

“Yes,” said Mitchell, “a good many people generally go to places that are great places for a good many people to go to.”

“You ought not to end with a preposition,” said Clover.

“There, I left my ear-trumpet in the carriage!” said Aunt Mary.

There was a pause of consternation.  No one spoke except the parrot.

“We know what she’s done without your telling us,” said Clover, addressing the bird.  “The question is what to do next?”

Jack went back downstairs and found the carriage waiting in hopes of picking up another load.  He lost no time in personally picking up the ear-trumpet and returning to his friends.

Then they all proceeded above and bought a table and turned their chairs to the stage, where the attraction just at that moment was a quartette of pretty girls.

“I’ll tell you what we’ll do,” said Burnett the instant the girls began to sing.  “Let’s each tie a card to a mouse and present them to the girls!”

The suggestion found favor and was followed out to the letter.  But when the girls were through and the Chinaman who followed them on the programme was also over, the pleasures of life in that spot palled upon the party.

“Oh, come,” said Burnett, “let’s go somewhere else.  Let’s go out in the air.”