instant,"
cried Laura, jumping to her feet and making a threatening movement toward
Billie's mischievous head, "I'll--I'll--oh, I don't know what I'll do.
Are you going to be good? Are you?"

"Yes, yes," cried Billie, pretending immense fright, while her eyes
danced with mischief. "Tell me what it is you want to know and I'll do
my best, Your Highness," this last in such a very humble tone that
Laura chuckled.

"All right, go ahead then," she said while Violet leaned forward eagerly.
"What did your aunt leave you?"

"Straight from the shoulder," Billie murmured. Then as Laura made another
threatening gesture toward her, added hurriedly: "All right. Don't shoot
and I'll tell you everything. Only it will take time."

Billie paused, to allow the proper amount of emphasis, then said, in a
deep whisper:

"She left me a--haunted house!"

CHAPTER X

OLD FURNITURE

Laura screamed and Violet jumped clear out of her seat.

They stared at Billie, wide-eyed and open-mouthed.

"Wh-what did you say?" asked Laura when she could get her breath.

"I said," said Billie, speaking very distinctly and enjoying the
sensation she had caused, "that Aunt Beatrice left me a haunted house."

"Th-then I wasn't dreaming," stammered Violet, while Laura just continued
to stare. "Is th-that all, Billie?"

"Isn't that enough?" asked Billie, just as her father had done a few
hours before.

"It's either not enough or it is too much," replied Violet. "If I had to
have the ghosts, I should want some very substantial compensations to
make up for such housemates as those airy and playful ladies and
gentlemen are said to make."

"But it is a house," persisted Billie. "And you know it isn't everybody
who can own a haunted house."

"A haunted house!" said Laura, speaking in a hushed tone. "Is it a real
haunted house, Billie, or are you fooling?"

"Well, I don't know that it is a regular honest-to-goodness one,"
admitted Billie reluctantly. "You see, it is the house Aunt Beatrice
used to live in when she was at home, and she left it to me, with
everything in it."

"How perfectly glorious!" cried Laura, clapping her hands with delight.
"Tell us about it, Billie. What made you say it was haunted?"

Then did Billie tell them all that her mother had told her about
her inheritance and, if the truth be told, even added a few details
of her own.

However that may have been, the fact remains that when she had finished
the girls were