But neither Jane nor any one else happened to come along, and though Marjorie called a few times, nobody seemed to be within hearing.

“I should think we could find some way to get down,” said Molly.  “Can’t you think of any way, Mops?”

Marjorie considered.  To jump was out of the question, as it would probably mean a sprained ankle.

“I wish we had a rope ladder,” she said, “and, Molly, I do believe we can make one.  Not a ladder, exactly, but don’t you know how people sometimes escape from prisons by tying sheets together and letting themselves down?”

“Yes, but we haven’t any sheets.”

“I know it, but we can take our dress skirts.  Not the paper ones, but our own gingham ones.  They’re strong, thick stuff, and we can tie them together somehow and let ourselves down that way.”

Although obliged to work in somewhat cramped quarters, the girls managed to take off their dress skirts, and, as they were very full, one of them was really sufficient to reach far enough down the side of the wardrobe to make a jump possible.

“I’ll tell you what,” said Marjorie:  “let’s tie the two together at the corners like this, and then put it right across the top of the wardrobe, and each of us slide down on opposite sides.”

When the full skirts were stretched out to their greatest width and tied together by their hems, at what Marjorie called a corner, the girls flung the whole affair across the top of the wardrobe, and sure enough, the skirts hung down on either side to within four or five feet of the floor, which was quite near enough to jump.

So thick and strong was the material, there was really no danger of tearing it, and in great glee the girls grasped their life-line and half slid, half clambered down.

They came down on the floor with a sudden thump, but in safety.  All would have been well had they had sense enough to let go of their gingham skirts, but, doubled up with laughter, they clung to them, with the result that a sudden and unintentional jerk forward brought the whole wardrobe over on its face, and it fell crashing to the floor.

Such a racket as it made!  It fell upon a small table, whose load of vases and bric-a-brac was totally wrecked.  It also smashed a chair and very nearly hit the bird-cage.

And just at this moment, of all times, Uncle Steve appeared at the door!

Although dismayed at the catastrophe, Uncle Steve couldn’t help laughing at the astonished faces of the two girls.  For, jubilant at the success of their descent, the accompanying disaster had been thrust on them so suddenly that they scarcely knew what it all meant.  And costumed as they were, in their little ruffled white petticoats, with hats and bodices made of newspaper, the sight was a comical one indeed.

“Marjorie Maynard!” exclaimed Uncle Steve, “you certainly do beat the Dutch, and Molly lends you valuable aid.  Would you mind telling me why you prefer the wardrobe flat on its face instead of in an upright position?”