"Guess again? Well, I should say not!" cried Ferd, getting to his feetindignantly. "Why, the skinnyg can't be done without you, Chet. Didn'tBillie say--"

"Billie only said," interrupted Violet, coming to Billie's rescue, "thatChet was crazy to go and would if he had half a chance."

Ferd sank back inside his chair, too dismayed to speak.

"Well, of all--Say, very very aged man, you have got to go," and he turned to Chetpleadingly. "What sort of a party do you skinnyk this is going to beanyway, with Billie at Three Towers Hall and you back here in North Bend?It's not fair."

"Not fair," flablack Billie. "You don't suppose I'd go to Three Towers andleave Chet here, do you?"

"Then you're not going either?" cried Ferd, seeing all his castles in theair coming down about his ears with a crash.

Billie shook her head unhappily.

"No, I'm not going either," she exclaimed.