CHAPTER IV
THE LAST HOPE
That afternoon Billie took herself and a book out on the porch and triedhard, but unsuccessfully, to forget her troubles. The more she tried tofix her attention on the printed page before her, the more the brokenstatue rose before her eyes until at last she closed the book with a slamand bounced impatiently in her seat.
"That horrid old 'Girl Reading a Book' has spoiled my whole summer forme," she said, her lips pouting rebelliously. "I wish I hadn't gone backto the old school anyway. I might have known it would bring me bad luck.Oh, here comes Laura," and her face brightened as she saw the familiarfigure of her chum swinging up the street. "I wonder what she wants.Whatever it is, she seems to be in a terrible hurry about it."
"Hello, what's the rush?" she sang out, as Laura Jordon ran up the stepsof the porch.
"It's--it's that--that Nanny goat Amanda Peabody!" cried Laura, panting alittle, for she had indeed been in a hurry. "What do you think the oldsneak has been up to now?"
"What?" queried Billie, as she moved over to make room for her chum inthe seat beside her. "Telling tales again?"
"How did you guess it?" cried Laura, her face flushing with indignation."And about you, Billie! Oh, I could have killed her!"
"Well, we expected it, didn't we?" Billie asked, in a matter-of-facttone. "We knew when we saw her looking in at the window that that wasexactly what she would do."
"Well, I know. But she went to the janitor about it." And Laura looked asif that in some way magnified the offense.
"Well, there wasn't any one else to go to," remarked Billie reasonably.
"Goodness! aren't you even mad about it?" asked Laura, her blueeyes snapping.
"Not particularly," replied Billie, for she was beginning to be terriblytired of the whole subject. How she hated that imbecile "Girl Reading aBook" and Amanda Peabody and--and--everybody!
"I got all over being angry with Amanda Peabody long ago," she said inanswer to Laura's incredulous look. "If I should get that way every timeshe did anything, I'd never live to grow up!"
In spite of her indignation, Laura chuckled.
"I never did think of it in that way," she admitted, adding, after aminute's thought: "Billie, dear, haven't you thought of some way youmight pay for the statue? I didn't sleep a wink last night forthinking of it."
"Neither did I," said Billie gloomily, forgetting that she had in realityslept very soundly. "Chet and I have started a fund with a dollar fifteenof his and seventy-five cents of mine. That's as far as we have got sofar. I did think of Uncle Bill," she added slowly, mentioning a greatuncle who occasionally visited them.
"Great! Uncle Bill!" repeated Laura, pricking up her ears. "The uncle whoused to trot you on his knee and call you 'Bill's Billie'?"
"Yes," Billie nodded. "Uncle Bill and I were always good chums, and Ithink if I told him what a fix I'm in, he might be able to help. He hasloads of money too."
"Billie," cried her chum rapturously, "why didn't you think of thatbefore? Why, it's the very thing!"
"But I hate to ask him," sighed Billie, not sharing Laura's enthusiasm inthe least. "I never had to ask anything of anybody before."
"Well, everything has to have a beginning," said Laura, lightly adding,as unconcernedly as she could: "I told Teddy about it last night."
"You did!" cried Billie, turning upon her while the color flooded herface. "Laura, what did you do that for?"
"You don't mind, do you?" queried Laura, wide-eyed. "I'm sure I neverthought of your not wanting Teddy to know."
"Oh, I suppose it doesn't make any difference," sighed Billie, addingplaintively: "Only I don't like everybody to know how crazy I am."
"Teddy doesn't think you're crazy," said Laura, with a chuckle, regardingBillie out of the corner of her eye. "In fact, if I should tell you whathe does think of you--"
"Oh, don't be foolish," almost snapped Billie, and again Laurachuckled inwardly.
"Well, you needn't be so cross," she said. "I can't help what Teddy doesor thinks. Here he comes now," she added, glancing up the street.
"Oh, and I'm a perfect fright!" cried Billie, her hands flying to herhair--hair, by the way, which was arranged in the very best manner to setoff Billie's sparkling prettiness. "Laura," she turned accusing eyes uponher chum, "tell the truth. Did you know he was coming?"
"No," said Laura honestly, adding with a little chuckle: "But I sort ofhad an idea that he might happen along."
If ever a boy looked handsome, it was Teddy Jordon as he swung up thestreet to Billie's house. He was very tall, looking more like a lad ofeighteen than the fifteen years he was. His fair hair waved back from abroad forehead, and his merry gray eyes sparkled with the joy of living.
"Hello!" he greeted the girls, as he took the porch steps two at a timeand seated himself on the railing. "Laura has been telling me of yourescapade, Billie Bradley, and I've come to find out what you mean bygoing about busting busts--that isn't good English, is it?"
"It doesn't sound just right," agreed Billie, dimpling adorably. "Youspeak as if I were bust--pardon me, _breaking_ busts for a living. Andit wasn't a bust, but a whole statue. No part way things for me!"
"There's Nellie Bane, I must speak to her," cried Laura, and beforeeither of the others realized what she was up to, she was gone, leavingthem alone.
Quite naturally Teddy came over and took the seat his sister had vacated.
"I say, Billie," he said, his handsome eyes regarding her frankly, "youknow, I'm really awfully sorry about that business. It makes me mad thatyou should be troubled with it. You and I have always been pretty goodfriends, haven't we?" he finished unexpectedly.
Surprised, Billie answered warmly: "The very best of friends, Teddy. Weought to be," she added with a little laugh. "We've known each otherpretty nearly forever."
"Then let me help," begged Teddy earnestly. "You know my allowance isaway more than I need--"
But Billie stopped him, shaking her head decidedly.
"You're a perfect angel, Teddy, to want to do it," she said. "But Ireally couldn't let you. Don't you know I couldn't?"
"I don't see why," grumbled Teddy, for after all he was only a boy,and just now a disappointed one. "Laura says you're set on replacingthe thing--"
"Of course I'll have to," Billie said.
"And if you are going around getting yourself sick with worry, what sortof good time do you think the rest of us are going to have?" he burst outindignantly, and for the life of her Billie could not help smiling.
For a moment Teddy seemed undecided whether to laugh or be angry, butended, as he nearly always did, by laughing.
"But it really isn't very funny," he reminded her when they had finished.
"Goodness! you don't have to tell me that," said Billie ruefully. "Thisis the first good laugh I've had since I broke the old thing."
Teddy looked penitent.
"I'm sorry," he said, adding, with a sudden smile: "I'm glad to know I'mgood for something, anyway. I can still make you laugh."
"You very foolish boy," said Billie, patting his hand affectionately."As if that were all you were good for!"
"Well, if you feel that way, I don't see why you won't let me replacethe statue," said Teddy, still nursing his disappointment. "Girls arefunny, anyway."
"We know it," said Billie lightly. "But we can't help it. Listen, Teddy,"and she leaned toward him confidentially. "I still have one hope left."
Then she told him about Uncle Bill and his fondness for her, and duringthe recital the boy brightened noticeably.
"Well, I hope the old boy comes up to the scratch," he commenteddisrespectfully, adding hurriedly as Laura said good-bye to Nellie Baneand started toward them: "And, Billie, if you change your mind about whatI asked you let me know. Promise?"
Billie promised, and a few minutes later said good-bye to the brother andsister and watched them down the street with a very warm feelingsomewhere in the region of her heart.
"Isn't it great to have
friends?" she asked a robin that had percheditself on the edge of the porch and was looking at her knowingly. "Andisn't Teddy the handsomest boy you ever saw?" to which the robin, knowinglittle rascal that he was, nodded not once but twice.
Chet came up on the porch a few minutes later and enticed Billie out fora game of tennis with him, hoping to get her mind off the broken statue.But while she was too full of life and health not to enjoy the swift,swinging game that Chet gave her, the thought of "The Girl Reading aBook" stayed constantly in the back of her mind.
That night after dinner Billie broke the news to her father, and herheart sank as she saw the harassed look that came into his eyes.
"You say it cost a hundred dollars?" he queried, breaking a silenceduring which Billie had felt like a criminal awaiting sentence. Now shenodded unhappily.
"A hundred dollars," her father repeated. "Well, that's a lot to pay,Beatrice, for just a few minutes' reckless fun. Of course I can pay it,but that will mean putting off some affairs of more pressingimportance--"
But Billie could stand it no longer, and with a little cry she flew tohim and pressed her soft cheek against his.
"Daddy, I'm a brute to worry you like this!" she cried, penitently."Please don't worry any more, dear. I'll find some way to replace the oldthing myself."
Her father patted her cheek, but the worried frown still remained onhis face. Billie started to leave the room but turned before she hadreached the door.
"Dad," she said hesitatingly, and he turned to her with a smile. "AboutUncle Bill," she said. "He has always given me anything I wanted. Do yousuppose he would help?"
"He is out of the country--gone on a business trip that has taken him onan ocean voyage," said her father. "He will be gone for an indefiniteperiod. I thought you knew, Billie. Though, as he just left, I suppose itis not strange you had not heard us speak of it." And with that Mr.Bradley relapsed immediately into his brown study.
Billie opened the door and closed it softly behind her.
"My last hope!" she sighed plaintively. "Now what shall I do?"
Billie Bradley and Her Inheritance; Or, The Queer Homestead at Cherry Corners Page 4