, having
most of his capital tied up in property and being at the time engaged in
fighting a rather losing fight with the high cost of living was in no
position to pay a hundred dollars--which was what the statue was worth.

Billie's worry was deepened by the fact that she would not be able to go
with Laura and Violet to Three Towers Hall, a boarding school to which
she had wanted to go all her life. The high school in North Bend was
notoriously poor and inefficient, and the girls had set their hearts on
attending Three Towers in the fall. And now, because of the broken
statue, Billie could not go.

Then had come news of Beatrice Powerson's death. Beatrice Powerson was
an aunt of Billie's mother for whom Billie had been named. Then came the
strange inheritance which the queer old lady, who had spent her life
traveling, had left to Billie--the old homestead at Cherry Corners which
dated back to revolutionary times and had been the scene of more than
one Indian attack.

Readers of the first book of this series will remember how the girls and
boys had decided to spend their vacation there, the many queer and
spooky experiences they had had, and finally the shabby old trunk which
Billie had found stowed away in a corner of the attic--a shabby old
trunk that contained riches; at least, so it now seemed to the boys and
girls. Five thousand dollars in the shape of old coins and postage
stamps.

Billie had sent the wonderful news post-haste to her family, and Mr.
Bradley had hurried out to the old house to see if Billie's discovery
was really worth anything.

And now he had just given the result of his investigation to six pairs
of ears. To be exact it had better be made seven, for Mrs. Maria
Gilligan, Mrs. Jordon's housekeeper and the girls' chaperone on this
expedition, was looking on with interest from the doorway.

Five thousand dollars, perhaps more. This almost certainly meant that
not only could Billie go to Three Towers Hall, but Chet would be able to
go with the other boys to a military academy which was only a little
over a mile from Three Towers.

"Oh, Daddy, I'm so glad you came!"

Billie squeezed her father's arm ecstatically.

"I'll say we are," said Ferd Stowing, staring down at the queer little
trunk as though he already could see it full to the brim with shining
new gold pieces from the mint instead of the old coins and rare postage
stamps that were its present contents.

"How soon," he asked, turn