"

Johnny figured, and oddly enough it's no trick to brush your teeth
(I'm lucky to still have my own) upside down. It's much the same as
when you do it normally ... bent over the lavatory. As for shaving,
well I never cared much for them, but I used Jim's electric razor and
that was taken care of. No shower though. Not even Johnny could figure
that one out.

Mary came in with sandwiches and coffee, and with straws it turned out
all right. Duchess did her usual lapping. There wasn't anything else
to do but wait, so Johnny brought me the morning paper. Let me tell
you, that's no snap, trying to read a paper that's continually trying
to pull away from you. My arms got awfully tired after awhile so I
gave that up. Noticing it was rather stuffy, I asked Johnny to lower
the upper sash of the dormer so the air could circulate a bit, and as
it became more comfortable, I must have dropped off to sleep again.

* * * * *

The next thing I knew I was awakened rather forcibly by loud screams
and yells from the garden just outside the window. When I got my wits
together and looked, the first thing I noticed was that Duchess was
nowhere around. About that time, Johnny burst into the room, tears
streaming down his face, and crying as though his heart would break.
Close on his heels was Mary, also crying, and Jim was bringing up the
rear.

"What in the world's the matter?" I asked.

"Oh, Ralph," Mary sobbed, "It's Duchess ... she's gone!"

"She just flew right up in the air!" Johnny added.

"What do you mean, 'flew right up in the air', what are you all
talking about?"

"She got out of the window, Dad," Jim said. "We were out in the garden
talking, and I guess she heard us. Looks like she went to the window,
scratched the screen loose, and out she went."

"Oh, Ralph, it was just horrible," Mary sobbed. "That poor thing,
going up just like a balloon ... getting smaller and smaller."

"Yeah, Dad," Johnny sniffed, "We watched her till she went clear out
of sight ... she was kickin' her legs and we could hear her barkin'
too."

"For heaven's sake, Ralph," Mary cried, "don't you go near that
window!"

"Yes, you'd go up too, Dad," Jim added.

Clutching tightly to the mattress, I assured them I wouldn't go near
the window, or the door either, for that matter. Just the thought of
that poor dog sailing up in the air made me sick in the pit of my
stomach.

"How high will she go, Jim?" I asked.