as perfectly wild as Chet had been to visit the queer old
place and, if need be, even confront its "ghosts!"

"Think!" cried Laura, clasping her hands rapturously. "Just think of
being able to roam all over that romantic old place and pry into
corners--"

"And get your hands dirty," interrupted Billie drily.

"Why, Billie," Laura stopped in her transports to regard her friend with
wide eyes, "aren't you simply wild about the place too?"

"Oh, I suppose so," said Billie, adding as a shadow crossed her face:
"The folks think I'm awful, all 'cept Chet, and I suppose I am--but I'd
give the whole place, tunnels, spooky hallways, ghostly attic, and
everything for just a few little hundred dollar bills."

The girls were silent for a few minutes, realizing that Billie's strange
inheritance did not do a thing toward solving the old problems of the
broken statue and of going to boarding school.

Then Violet, who was always thinking up some happy way out of a
difficulty, gave a little bounce in the swing.

"How do we know," she cried, as the girls looked at her half hopefully,
"but what you could sell some of the furniture in the old house and get
enough to pay for the statue?"

"We might, at that," said Billie, her face lighting up again. "But mother
said it must all be awfully old," she added doubtfully.

"All the better," cried Violet, growing more and more enthusiastic. "You
say that the old house dates back to revolutionary times, Billie. How do
we know but what some of the old furniture would be very valuable as
antiques?"

"Violet, you're a wonder!" cried Billie, hugging her so hard that she
gasped for breath. "I'd never have thought of that in a thousand years.
Now you speak of it," she added thoughtfully, "I remember some antique
furniture that Uncle Bill has in his library. He says it's worth all
sorts of money, but I wouldn't give two cents for it."

"Well, as long as somebody will, what should we care!" cried Laura
flippantly. "Maybe you'll make a fortune for yourself after all, Billie."

"Oh, and think what it would mean!" cried Violet, her eyes shining. "It
would mean that you could pay for that beastly old statue, Billie. And it
would mean that you could go to Three Towers with us."

"And Chet could go to the military academy with Teddy and Ferd,"
Laura added.

"For goodness' sake!" cried poor Billie wildly. "You make me feel dizzy.
What is the use of getting my hopes all raised? Probably Aunt Beatri