"I shouldn’t wonder if you were right about that. Well, what shall we do? Shall we play checkers?" "Oh, no! don’t let’s play any thing still: let’s romp a little." "Romp!" exclaimed Johnny, making up a comical face. "You know I hate romping. Let us play a game of chess." "No: you always beat me at those games, and so it isn’t any fun; but I can beat you at romping, and so I like it. Besides, papa and mamma say it is better for you to exercise more, and they like to have you romp with me." "I should think you were setting up for a doctress, if I didn’t know you better. You are the greatest girl to get up excuses for whatever you want to do. But I suppose there’ll be no peace until I romp." Johnny put down his book with a sigh and a smile. Sue said, "Come, let’s play tag. Catch me if you can!" and ran off into the dining-room. As the gas was only lighted in the front hall and in the sitting-room, it was pretty dark in the dining-room; but this suited Sue all the better: she ran around the table, with Johnny after her; and, as she hit now and then against the table, the dishes rattled ominously. She was laughing uproariously all the time, and evidently thought of nothing but the sport of dodging Johnny, at all risks. "This won’t do," said Johnny, coming to a stand-still, as Sue, in trying to escape him as he turned suddenly in the direction in which she was running, knocked over a pitcher near the end of the table: "we shall be sure to break something before long, at this rate." "Let’s go into the kitchen, then," replied Sue: "there isn’t any fire in the stove, and we can’t hurt any thing there. It’ll be real nice and dark too: I’ll bet I can hide where you can’t find me." "All right," said Johnny; and Sue danced into the kitchen, and hid behind the door. Johnny cornered her at once, however; for it happened to be lighter there than in the dining-room. "Why, this is real queer!" exclaimed Sue, in a half vexed tone, as Johnny pulled her from her hiding-place: "it isn’t dark here a single mite!" "So it isn’t," replied Johnny. "I wonder what makes it so light! The light comes in at the window. There must be a lamp in the shed, or out on the platform." Johnny opened the door and went out. Sue followed him. The "platform" extended some little distance from the back-door, and was covered by a roof: it might have been called a piazza or a porch but for its width. At the side of the "platform" was what Johnny called the "shed:" it had been intended only for storage of wood and coal, but was so large that a small summer kitchen had been partitioned off next to the kitchen, with a door into the kitchen, and another opening upon the platform. This kitchen was used in warm weather for baking, washing, and ironing, in order to keep the heat out of the house. Kate had been ironing that afternoon, and the fire in the stove had not gone out. As soon as they were outside the door, Sue set up a cry of alarm.