CHAPTER XXVII 

A LEMON 

That bulwark of _Peaceful Moments_, Pugsy Maloney, was rather the man of action than the man of tact. Otherwise, when, a moment later, he thrust his head up through the trap, he would have withdrawn delicately, and not split the silence with a raucous "Hey!" which acted on John and Betty like an electric shock. 

John glowered at him. Betty was pink, but composed. Pugsy climbed leisurely on to the roof, and surveyed the group. 

"Why, hello!" he said, as he saw Betty more closely. 

"Well, Pugsy," said Betty. "How are you?" 

John turned in surprise. 

"Do you know Pugsy?" 

Betty looked at him, puzzled. 

"Why, of course I do." 

"Sure," said Pugsy. "Miss Brown was stenographer on de poiper till she beat it." 

"Miss Brown!" 

There was utter bewilderment in John's face. 

"I changed my name when I went to _Peaceful Moments_." 

"Then are you--did you--?" 

"Yes, I wrote those articles. That's how I happen to be here now. I come down every day and help look after the babies. Poor little souls, there seems to be nobody else here who has time to do it. It's dreadful. Some of them--you wouldn't believe--I don't think they could ever have had a real bath in their lives." 

"Baths is foolishness," commented Master Maloney austerely, eying the scoured infants with a touch of disfavor. 

John was reminded of a second mystery that needed solution. 

"How on earth did you get up here, Pugsy?" he asked. "How did you get past Sam?" 
Who did Pugsy get past?
"How on earth did you get up here, Pugsy?" he asked. "How did you get past Sam?"