CHAPTER XII
GREAT PLANS
After permission for the outing was gained from all the parents concernedeverything was bustle and excitement. For a week the girls spent thewhole of every day at each other's houses, planning their vacation,talking about the clothes they would need to take with them, andgenerally enjoying themselves.
As the time drew near they could hardly contain their excitement, and theboys, who had decided they would follow the girls some days later, werealmost as bad.
"I don't see why you don't come with us," Billie pouted one night, whenthe entire crowd of young folks had assembled at her home. "It would belots more fun on the train if you boys were with us."
"But there is the tennis match we promised to play with the fellows ofthe south end," Chet pointed out for perhaps the hundredth time. "Wecouldn't back out of it at the last minute, you know; they'd think wewere afraid."
"Now how do you know," Violet pointed out, "but what we will all havebeen eaten up by the ghosts by the time you get there?"
"Ghosts!" scoffed Ferdinand Stowing, who was to go with Chet and Teddy."I don't see where you girls get this ghost stuff. Just because a househappens to be old doesn't say it's haunted."
"Gosh! listen to him," cried Chet indignantly. "Some one is always takingthe joy out of life."
"Say, you don't think it's haunted, do you?" asked Ferd, in surprise.
"Of course not," answered Chet, adding, with a chuckle: "But I havemy hopes."
"Well, so have I," spoke up Laura promptly. "If there isn't a familyghost or two about the place, we just won't have any fun. What's the useof going off into the wilderness to a spooky house if we're not going tomeet a ghost?"
"Well, you know I didn't promise any ghosts," said Billie, looking upfrom a piece of fancy work she was embroidering. "If you aredisappointed, you needn't blame it on me, Laura, or you either, Chet."
"Well, I don't see why we shouldn't have a good time without ghosts," putin Violet. "In fact, I don't think I'd particularly enjoy meetingsomebody's great-great-ancestor in the dark."
"Oh, Vi, you give me the creeps," said Laura with a little shiver."Billie, do you think half a dozen middies' would do? We won't want todress up very much."
"No, the ghosts probably wouldn't know the difference," said Teddywickedly. "By the way, boys," he went on, imitating Laura's tone toperfection, "that's one important thing we haven't decided, yet. What arewe going to wear?"
"You poor fish!" cried Ferd, throwing a cushion at him. "Who let you in?"
"Stop wrecking the furniture," exclaimed Billie, from her corner. "And dostop talking all at once. You make my ears ache. And besides, I want tosay something."
"Silence," cried Chet, in a dramatically deep voice. "The queen is aboutto speak."
"He said something that time," whispered Teddy in her ear, and a littlepink flush mounted to Billie's face, making her look prettier than ever.It was so nice to have one's friends like you!
"Why, I was just thinking about the cooking," she said. "Do any of youboys know how to cook?"
"Heavens, listen at her!" cried Ferd in alarm. "Is she going to set us towork already--before we get there? What's the idea, Billie?"
"Well," replied Billie, biting off her thread calmly, "we have to eatwhile we're there, you know."
"No!" cried Chet sarcastically. "You may, sweet sister, but not us. Weare too ethereal."
"Say, is he insulting us?" cried Ferd indignantly. "Say that again, Idare you--"
"Oh, for goodness' sake keep still!" cried Laura, clapping her hands toher ears. "You make me deaf, dumb and blind. Now, Billie, what were yougoing to say?"
"Simply, that since we do have to eat, Chet or anybody else to thecontrary," she looked at her brother and dimpled adorably, "we will haveto decide who is going to do the cooking."
"Why, I suppose we'll take our turns at it, as we've done before when wehave been camping," said Laura, in surprise.
"I know. But what I want to find out is, are the boys going to do any ofthe work?"
"Good land, is she asking us to cook?" asked Ferd. "Why, Billie, we don'tknow a thing about it!"
"And don't want to learn," added Chet fervently.
"Oh, you big fibbers!" Billie's eyes danced as she looked at them."I remember--oh, I have a very good memory," and she glancedsideways at Teddy, who was beginning to look uncomfortable. "Iremember a certain person telling me how beautifully you boys cookedwhile you were at camp."
"Say, Billie, that's not fair," cried Teddy, with a guilty note in hisvoice that made his two comrades look at him accusingly.
"Aha, we see the villain!" cried Ferd threateningly. "What'll we do withhim, Chet?"
"Nothing's bad enough for such a crime," said Chet ruefully. "What didyou make such a break for, Ted? I thought I'd brought you up better."
"Gee, Billie, do you see what you've let me in for?" said Ted miserably,but Billie only regarded him with laughing eyes while Laura and Violetseemed to be enjoying the situation immensely.
"I don't see what I did," Billie replied innocently. "I thought I waspaying you boys a compliment by saying that you could cook well."
"But we can't," cried Ferd, seizing the opportunity eagerly. "Gee,Billie, you couldn't eat the awful messes we make. Why, you're agood cook--"
Billie raised a cushion threateningly in the air.
"None of that! None of that!" she warned him. "We see through you,villain!"
"Say, she must think you're one of the Cherry Corners ghosts," broke inTeddy whimsically. "It's pretty hard on a fellow when you can see throughhim, Billie."
"But honest you couldn't," Ferd insisted, not to be defeated in this onelast hope. "Really, I don't know enough about an egg to take the shelloff when I fry it."
"Idiot," cried Billie, throwing the pillow at him in earnest. "Who everheard of fried egg in the shell?"
"I did," cried Ferd, unabashed by the laughter and the scornful glancesturned his way. "Ladies and gentlemen, you see before you to-night theman that invented it."
"Well, but nobody has answered my question," said Billie demurely,after the laughter had subsided. "Are the boys going to help cook orare they not?"
"I tell you what," said Chet desperately. "We'll cook if you will promiseto eat it."
"Billie," cried Laura in alarm, "don't make any rash promises. They wouldprobably put some awful thing into the food on purpose."
"Laura, that's some idea," cried Ferd, looking at her admiringly whileTeddy and Chet chuckled. "Thanks. We never would have thought of thatourselves."
"Well," said Billie with a little chuckle, "I imagine we would rather eatour own cooking anyway, so you needn't worry. Only," she added warningly,as they sighed with relief, "there is one thing you _will_ have to do."
"And what's that?" they cried fearfully.
"Help wash the dishes," she said; and in her tone was no relenting.
And so, even to the impatient girls the time passed quickly until at lastthe great day arrived.
It was a wonderful day, sunshiny and warm without being too hot, and allthree of them were up with the birds. They were to catch the eighto'clock morning train, and so they had no time to waste in bed.
Billie was in a joyful mood as she got herself into the pretty new dressshe was to wear on the trip. She ran around the room, humming to herselfand every once in a while doing a little dance step as she realized thatthey were at last to embark upon their adventure.
And an adventure she somehow felt sure it was to be. For even though,contrary to Chet's hopes, and she smiled as she thought of him, they didnot meet with ghosts at Cherry Corners, there would be the fun of seeingfor the first time her inheritance.
It might be a queer old house and the contents and the grounds about itmight be of small value, but there was a wonderful thrill nevertheless inbeing the owner of it.
And there was the fact that it dated back to revolutionary times, it wasreally historic and--it all belonged to her!
No wo
nder she sang as she gave a last fond pat to the pretty dress andtucked a wandering little strand of hair into place. Her eyes danced andher face was flushed, but Billie never noticed how pretty she was.
She was the first in the dining-room that morning, but her mother sooncame in, scattering advice as she came and all through the meal Billietried hard to listen dutifully to all the "must nots" and "don't dos."But all the time her eyes were on the clock and her mind was saying overand over again:
"In just half an hour we'll be on the train. In just half an hour we'llbe on the train."
Then Chet came in and her father, and, finding that it was almost traintime, postponed their breakfast to see her off. A few minutes later theystarted off to pick up the girls on the way to the station.
They found them waiting impatiently, and wildly eager to be off. About ablock from the station they heard the whistle of the train, and the girlswould run for it, though they really had plenty of time.
At last they were in the train with the boys and their parents waving tothem. Then suddenly they realized that they were moving. They wereactually on their way!
"Give my regards to the ghosts!" cried Chet as the train moved off, "anddon't scare them all off before I get there!"