ement even before the stream of people
began to pour from the train, and when she saw Connie she made a wild
dash for her that very nearly bowled over a couple of unfortunate men who
were in the path.

"You darling!" cried Billie, hugging her friend rapturously. "Now I know
it's all true. I was just scared to death for fear something would happen
and you couldn't get here."

Poor Chet tried his best to edge his way in and speak a word to Connie on
his own account--for Chet liked Connie Danvers very much--but he could
not do any more than shake hands with her over Billie's shoulder and
mumble one or two words which neither of the girls understood.

"They won't speak to you," he grumbled to himself as he brought up the
rear with Connie's suitcase and a hat box, "and the only time they know
you're alive is when they want a baggage truck or something. Catch me
ever coming to meet one of Billie's friends again."

He was relieved when Vi and Laura came running up all flushed with their
hurry to "spill over Connie" some more, as Chet disgustedly put it and he
had a chance to slip down a side street and "beat it" for home.

None of the girls even noticed that Chet had gone; a fact which, had he
known it, would have made the boy still more disgusted with girls and
everything about them.

"Connie, you do look sweet," Vi cried, as they all four tried to walk
abreast along a sidewalk that was not very wide--the result being that
Laura, who was on the end, walked half the time on the curb and the rest
of the time in the gutter. "Is that a new hat? And, oh, I know you've got
a new dress!"

"Well I'm not the only one who looks nice," said Connie, who, in spite of
her prettiness, was very modest.

"Oh, we are a mess," said Laura, balancing nicely between the curb and
the gutter. "We've got on our oldest dresses because everything we own is
packed except the things we're going to wear to-morrow."

"To-morrow!" That was the magic word that unlocked the gates and let
through a flood of conversation consisting of excited questions and
answers and joyful exclamations that lasted until they reached Billie's
house.

Billie asked Laura and Vi in, but they reluctantly refused, saying that
their mothers had expressly ordered them to be home that day in time for
dinner.

"We can't come over to-night," Vi called back to them, as she and Laura
started on arm in arm. "Mother says I have to get to bed early."

"But we'll see you the fi