a smile, then added as the girls
turned toward home: "I know what I shall name my new statue. Her name
shall be 'Billie.'"

"She's lovely, isn't she?" asked Violet, referring to Miss Beggs. "I
wish she were going to be one of the instructors at Three Towers."

"I hope they're nice, for it's awful to live with people who aren't,"
sighed Laura.

"Well, we won't know very much about them till we get there."

"And then it may be too late," put in Violet dolefully.

"But Daddy says," Billie went on, "that Miss Walters, the head of the
school, is just splendid."

"Well, that ought to help some," said Laura, adding with a quick change
of tone that made the girls look up suddenly: "There's Amanda Peabody.
Can't we hide or something?"

"I don't see where, and, besides, she won't bite you," said Billie.

Amanda Peabody was probably the most unpopular girl in North Bend. The
girls disliked her as real girls always dislike a sneak and tattle-tale.
Amanda was always spying around, minding everybody's business but her
own, and making a general nuisance of herself.

And because Billie was so popular, Amanda seemed to have an especial
grudge against her and was always trying to get her into trouble.

As Amanda came toward them on this beautiful afternoon she seemed more
unpleasant than usual and there was a mean little smile at the corners
of her thin-lipped mouth.

"Hello!" she accosted the girls, then turned to Billie with a more
pronounced grin. "I've heard all about the money you found in that awful
old house. You must feel like a regular Captain Kidd, don't you?"

"Since I never was sure how Captain Kidd felt, I don't know," said
Billie coolly, although she could feel the blood slowly mounting into
her face. Oh, if she could only do what she wanted to, Amanda Peabody
wouldn't be smiling very long!

The girls made as if to go on, but with characteristic ill breeding,
Amanda planted herself directly in front of Billie, still with that
maddening grin on her face.

"I suppose now you'll be going to Three Towers Hall and your brother to
Boxton Academy."

Billie did not say anything--she just looked. But that look must have
been enough, for suddenly with a flirt of her dress and a toss of her
head and an insolent look Amanda flung past them.

"Just the same you needn't think you're the only pebble on the beach,"
she called back. "I'm going to Three Towers, too."

For a minute the chums could not believe their ears.