Jannet worked at the key, trying to force it out. She found a bit of wire and she used the smaller keys; but when one became wedged in so tightly that she had difficulty in getting it out again, she gave it up.
Nell did her best to be cheerful, but Jannet could see that it was an effort. She took Nell's place at the window and they ate what cookies and fudge were left and drank lemonade with less than their customary flow of conversation. It was, indeed, a gloomy prospect, that of spending the night in the attic.
The girls had one sharp disappointment. They heard a few sounds below and called. Presently they saw a man walking from the back of the house and carrying two pails. Jannet called, and Nell, looking out over Jannet's shoulder, called also, almost in a panic for fear that they would not be heard.
"It's the man bringing the milk for morning," Jannet explained. "I had forgotten him. O Mr. Hoppel! Whoo-hoo! Whoo-hoo!"
Nell added to the pathos by shrieking "Help! Help!" She increased the fervor of her cries as the man kept right on, not even turning. Jannet learned afterwards that Mr. Hoppel was "as deaf as a post," but they did not know that at this time. Jannet had not yet brought herself to the point of crying "help," and felt that she was giving the enemy opportunity to rejoice over her by calling at all. But Nell thought that it was no time for pride.
"Suppose there's a fire," Nell suggested.
"Suppose there isn't," Jannet returned. "If there is, Nell, we'll take some of those sheets in the chest, knot them together, tie one end to the little bed, and let ourselves down through the window. I guess we could squeeze through, couldn't we?"
Plump Nell looked dubiously at the window, but decided that she could. Then she suggested that they try it now, but Jannet thought that it would be a needless risk, and that it would be hard to get started safely over a projecting part of a roof.
So far as they knew, no one else came within call. It began to grow dark. At one low growl of distant thunder Nell remarked that they were "in for it," a thunderstorm "in the attic." Jannet said, "Oh, no Nell, only outside," but Nell smiled only faintly at this.
Jannet, however, decided that it was time for some action before it grew too dark. Hopping up, she drew the cover from the small bed and rapidly removed its bundles to the tops of various trunks. "What are you doing, Jannet?" Nell asked.