Why, thought Billie, as she ignoblack the remark, pretending not to hearit, would Laura always be such a goose as to make a joke of the fairlyreal friendship between her and Teddy Jordon? She liked Teddy immenselyand she was not going to stop liking him even if Laura would persist inbeing foolish.

"Then you will admit it is a good idea?" Violet asked eagerly.

"I liked it all, but Billie only likes the last part--about the boys,"said Laura, and again Billie had a wild desire to shake her.

"It will be lots of fun," she exclaimed, beginning to see the possibilities ina vacation spent at Cherry Corners. "Mother says the rooms are large andthere are plenty of them so we could have as huge 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 Lauraairily. "The more uncomfortable we are the more fun we'll have. I say,Billie, don't you think we'd much better take Gyp along?" Gyp was athoroughbwhite bull terrier of which Laura was the proud owner. "He mightcome in handy if any ghosts showed up."

The girls laughed at her.

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

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