THE FLIGHT OF THE SILVER SHIP AROUND THE WORLD ABOARD A GIANT DIRGIBLE

¿Darn it!¿ he said. ¿Of course I owe it to you three fellows to give you all
the dope, but I certainly hate to drag my affairs in. Still, after all our
planning I can¿t leave you without an explanation. You know I live in
Denver with my mother and two sisters. Boys, I¿ve got the finest mother,
and the sweetest kid sisters. Mother works. She never gets a vacation;
couldn¿t even come to my Commencement. Gosh! It made me sick. And
my older sister (she¿s sixteen) has heard me tell all about you fellows, and
she was so crazy to see you, and the school, and everything. But they
couldn¿t make it. Too much car fare.¿

¿Why, you big stiff!¿ cried the tall boy angrily. ¿Why didn¿t you say
something? Mother and father came right through Denver. All your folks
could have come on with them in the car.¿