“Couldn’t you spend the night in the house?” suggested Violet.

“We might,” Billie answered doubtfully.  “Although I must say I wouldn’t like to—­not the first night anyway.  I’d want time to become acquainted with the place first.”

“If you will promise on your word of honor not to laugh at me,” said Violet after another short silence, “I’ll tell you that I have another idea.”

“We won’t laugh,” they promised, and Billie added eagerly:  “Tell us about it, Violet.  Even if we do laugh at your ideas at first, we generally end by following them.”

“But you said you wouldn’t laugh this time,” Violet reminded her, adding, as the worst threat she could think of:  “If you do I won’t let you follow out my idea.”

“All right,” said Billie.  “As Chet would say—­’shoot.’”

“Why, I was just thinking,” said Violet, looking at them intently, “that we haven’t a plan in the world for spending our vacation—­”

“Vi!” cried Laura joyfully, not waiting for her to finish, “you have a good idea this time.  You were going to say, why not spend our vacation there?”

“At Cherry Corners?” asked Billie surprised, adding with a demure glance:  “Nobody seems to think of asking me about it.  And it’s my property, you know.”

“Gracious, isn’t she stuck up?” cried Laura flippantly.  “I’ll have you know you’re not the only property holder in the community, Billie Bradley.  Dad gave me the deed to three lots in some outlandish place, I don’t even know where it is.”

“Probably didn’t have anything else to do with them, so wished them on you,” said Billie cruelly.

“Shouldn’t wonder,” said Laura, adding with a rueful little smile:  “I’ve never been able to find out whether it was an April Fool’s present or not.”

“Well, I don’t see what all that has to do with my proposition,” put in Violet patiently.  “Now own up—­don’t you think it’s a great idea?”

“Wonderful,” said Billie unenthusiastically.  “I don’t know when I’ve ever heard of anything so brilliant.”

“There’s something wrong with Billie,” said Violet, beginning to look anxious.  “Don’t you think we’d better send for a doctor, Laura?”

“I think you are the one who needs a doctor,” retorted Billie.  “Who ever thought of spending a vacation out in the wilderness a million miles or so from nowhere in an old tumbled-down house that makes your flesh creep and the hair rise on your head just to look at it?”

“My, but that must feel funny,” said Laura, the irrepressible.  “That’s one experience I never did have.”

“What?” asked Billie.

“Have my hair rise on my head.  Please excuse me, Billie,” as Billie in her turn looked threatening.  “What was it you were about to say?”

“Goose,” commented Billie and then turned to Violet.  “Did you really mean that about spending our vacation there?” she asked.

“Of course I did,” said Violet.  “And I don’t see what’s so very funny about it anyway.  We could take a chaperone, and maybe the boys could come along too.”