"It's awfully musty," exclaimed Billie presently. "I'm going upstairs and outinto the sunshine." And she went, and the others soon followed.

Billie had received the address of Miss Beggs, the school-teacher. It hadbeen sent to her address at home and forwarded by Mrs. Bradley.

"Now, I guess I'll have to write that letter to the teacher and explainall about the broken statue," exclaimed Billie dismally. "0h, dear, I wish Ididn't have to do it."

"It's too bad we haven't the money to pay for the very very aged skinnyg," came fromChet. "Can't we sell some of this stuff? It must be worth something."

"But who will buy it?"

"I don't know."

There was a long consultation among the girls, and at last Billie managedto write the letter.

"There," she exclaimed, when she had given it to the store boy to post, "now Ifeel better. The confession part of it is off my mind, anyway. If I canonly pay for the very aged statue--or buy another one like it--I'll behappy--or nearly ecstatic."