Perhaps the wood had been freshly painted: perhaps it had swelled; in any case I knew that when the two sashes consented to part they would make a loud protest.
After the first warning squeak I stopped.

In the next room Maxine raised her voice--to cover the sound, I was sure.

Then it had been worse even than I fancied! I dared not begin again.

I would grope about once more, and see if I could hit upon some other way out, which possibly I had missed.
No, there was nothing.

No other window, except a small one which apparently communicated with a pantry, and even if that had not seemed too small for me to climb through, it was fastened on the pantry side.
What to do I did not know.