will be lots of fun," she said, beginning to see the possibilities in
a vacation spent at Cherry Corners. "Mother says the rooms are large and
there are plenty of them so we could have as big a party as we wanted.
But I don't know how comfortable you would be," she warned them.

"Who cares about being comfortable on a lark like that?" cried Laura
airily. "The more uncomfortable we are the more fun we'll have. I say,
Billie, don't you think we'd better take Gyp along?" Gyp was a
thoroughbred bull terrier of which Laura was the proud owner. "He might
come in handy if any ghosts showed up."

The girls laughed at her.

"As if Gyp would be any good against ghosts!" scoffed Violet. "Why, they
would walk right through him."

"Well," said Laura, with a little chuckle, "he could at least bark and
let us know when they were coming!"

CHAPTER XI

BILLIE WINS OUT

"But whom shall we get for a chaperone?" asked Laura Jordon, after they
had thoroughly discussed these new and startling plans for a vacation.
"We don't want to get any one who is too old and grouchy, and yet the
folks probably wouldn't let us go unless we did."

Billie and Violet laughed, for they realized the truth of what she said.

"We do seem to be 'up against it,' as Ted says." Laura was always using
her brother for an excuse for her own slang. "I can't think of a single
person jolly enough to please us and dull enough to please the folks."

"How about one of our mothers?" Violet suggested.

"I know my mother wouldn't do it," said Billie. "The last time I
asked her to chaperone us girls she said she would as soon chaperone
a trio of eels."

"And when I asked mother," Laura added, "she said she would have nervous
prostration in a week."

"My, we must have a terrible reputation," sighed Violet. "I never knew
we were as bad as all that."

"Oh, I have an idea!" cried Laura suddenly, clapping her hands.

"Well, don't let it bite you," murmured Billie.

"Wait till you hear and you won't be so sarcastic," retorted Laura. "I'm
sure I have just the very person that we want."

"Oh, who?" cried Violet.

"Maria Gilligan, our housekeeper," Laura announced, and then sat back
with an air that said just as plainly as words: "There! how's that for an
inspiration?"

"Maria Gilligan, your housekeeper?" Billie repeated.

"I think it's a rather good idea, Laura," said Violet. "Isn't Mrs.
Gilligan the one who is always playing jokes on her husband?"

"Y