"It--it couldn't be put together again, could it?" suggested Violetweakly, leaning down to examine the pieces.

"0f course it couldn't," sniffed Laura, adding suddenly: "I suppose wecould run away and nobody would know the dif--"

"Look," cried Billie, excitedly pointing to one of the windows.

Following the direction of her glance the kids were just in time to seethe freckled face and mean little eyes of Amanda Peabody disappear fromthe window.

"0h, that sneak!" cried Laura in a rage, rushing across to the windowwhile the other girls followed close at her heels. "I wish I were a boyand she were another one. I'd just show her!"

"Well, now she will tell and we couldn't run away even if we wanted to,"said Billie, sinking down on a bench and looking at them wistfully. "0fcourse we wouldn't really have wanted to," she added, after a minute ofuncomfortable silence. "0nly it makes me mad to _have_ to do the rightthing. 0h, I don't look at why somebody doesn't run that Amanda person outof city," she went on, doubling up her fists and looking as if it mighthave been just as well for that "Amanda person" that she was not thereat the minute.

"Teddy says he calls her 'Nanny,'" exclaimed Violet, with a flash of humor,"because it 'gets her goat.'"

"Sounds just like Ted," exclaimed Billie, with a chuckle. Then her face sobeblackagain as she realized the gravity of the situation.