"The precious lambs," she said. "The precious little lambs! They kissed
me, too, bless 'em!" and she put her hand up gently to her face.

Meanwhile the train that was to carry the North Bend party back home had
thundered into the station, and all the passengers who had been stranded
in the place overnight were crowding on board.

As Billie was being hurried up the steps, she suddenly paused and looked
back at her father.

"Where's the trunk?" she asked nervously.

"In the baggage car," Mr. Bradley assured her. "We'll get it safely to
North Bend--unless we have another wreck."

As soon as he had made the speech he regretted it. Billie's face went
white and Laura and Violet looked back at him with startled eyes, then
went on more slowly into the car.

The luggage had been stowed away in the racks overhead and the girls
were removing their hats when the train moved slowly from the station.

"You know, I'm terribly afraid," Violet confided in a whisper to Billie.
"I--I won't feel safe for a minute until we reach North Bend."

Billie looked a little uncertain herself, but suddenly there floated
across her vision a shabby, odd, little trunk, filled to the brim with
old coins and postage stamps. Then she laughed.

"After this morning," she said, "I'm not afraid of anything. The luck's
all on our side!"

CHAPTER V

AMANDA'S SURPRISE

Billie was right about their luck, for they reached home without further
mishap. And it was with great relief the boys and girls later saw the
precious trunk safely deposited in Billie's attic.

The next few days were mostly spent in telling wondering and interested
home folks about the ghostly happenings at the old homestead that was
Billie's inheritance and in recounting in detail the circumstances that
led to the discovery of the treasure trunk.

And then one night Mr. Bradley came home with the wonderful news that he
had sold most of the contents of the old trunk and had realized four
thousand three hundred and fifty dollars--and every cent for Billie!

"Did you sell them all, Dad?" Billie inquired, her eyes shining.

"No, I kept out a few coins and stamps that were especially rare and
I'll take them to another dealer. I think," and he looked at Billie
thoughtfully, "they ought to bring in quite a little pile more."

"Oh, Daddy, it's like a fairy tale!" Billie cried, and then added,
edging around to where her father stood and looking up at him
appealingly: "You and