fa
completely muffled by cushions.

"Pax, pax, I'll be good," he panted. "What do you want me to do?"

"Say you are never going home," Phyllis commanded.

"I'm never going home," Tom repeated meekly.

They let him up, and he tried to smooth his hair and straighten his tie.

"Thank goodness that's settled!" Phyllis exclaimed. "And now what do
you propose doing to amuse us?"

"It's Saturday, you know," Janet reminded him.

"Auntie Mogs, I appeal to you," Tom said, as Miss Carter entered the
room. "Is this fair? These two Comanche Indians hold me helpless on
the sofa, extract a promise that I will never go home, and now they
want me to amuse them besides."

"All day," Phyllis said.

"All day long," echoed Janet.

Miss Carter laughed. "I'm afraid I can't help you out, Tom; you
brought it upon yourself, but of course you know that a promise made in
self-defense is not binding."

"Isn't it, though?" Phyllis demanded, and Janet started to tickle again.

"Say it is binding," she commanded.

"Oh, anything, anything, only stop!" Tom begged. "I am at your mercy,
what do you want me to do?"

"Well, we might take a walk in the park this morning," Phyllis
suggested. "Janet hasn't seen my pet lion yet, and I'm crazy to show
him to her."

"And we have to go to the station this afternoon to meet Boru," Janet
added happily. Miss Carter, true to her promise, had written to Mrs.
Page, with the result that Janet's dog was expected that day.

"And after that--" Phyllis cupped her chin in her hand and appeared to
give the matter serious consideration.

"Don't you think after that you might rest awhile?" Auntie Mogs
inquired.

"Saturday comes but once a year; I mean, week," Phyllis chanted, "and
it's foolish to rest."

"I have an idea," Tom said suddenly; "if you promise not to tickle me
in the station when I go to buy my ticket and behave yourselves
generally, I will give you a surprise party. No, I won't tell you what
it's to be, that's my affair, but I promise it will be something nice."

"Something to do?" Phyllis inquired.

Tom nodded.

"Will you promise?"

"Shall we?" Phyllis looked at Janet.

"Yes, let's, I love surprises," Janet agreed.

"We promise," they said together.

"Well, then, go get your things on, and we will go over and interview
this lion friend of Phyllis's." Tom sighed his relief when the girls
had gone.

"We'll miss you, Tom," Miss Carter said gently; "must you really go
t