CHAPTER XII
PREPARING FOR THE TRIP
Chet and Billie were at the train to meet Connie when she arrived, for ithad been decided almost without argument that Connie would spend her onenight in North Bend with the Bradleys.
Billie was in a fever of excitement even before the stream of peoplebegan to pour from the train, and when she saw Connie she made a wilddash for her that very nearly bowled over a couple of unfortunate men whowere in the path.
"You darling!" cried Billie, hugging her friend rapturously. "Now I knowit's all true. I was just scared to death for fear something would happenand you couldn't get here."
Poor Chet tried his best to edge his way in and speak a word to Connie onhis own account--for Chet liked Connie Danvers very much--but he couldnot do any more than shake hands with her over Billie's shoulder andmumble one or two words which neither of the girls understood.
"They won't speak to you," he grumbled to himself as he brought up therear with Connie's suitcase and a hat box, "and the only time they knowyou're alive is when they want a baggage truck or something. Catch meever coming to meet one of Billie's friends again."
He was relieved when Vi and Laura came running up all flushed with theirhurry to "spill over Connie" some more, as Chet disgustedly put it and hehad 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 heknown it, would have made the boy still more disgusted with girls andeverything about them.
"Connie, you do look sweet," Vi cried, as they all four tried to walkabreast along a sidewalk that was not very wide--the result being thatLaura, who was on the end, walked half the time on the curb and the restof the time in the gutter. "Is that a new hat? And, oh, I know you've gota new dress!"
"Well I'm not the only one who looks nice," said Connie, who, in spite ofher prettiness, was very modest.
"Oh, we are a mess," said Laura, balancing nicely between the curb andthe gutter. "We've got on our oldest dresses because everything we own ispacked except the things we're going to wear to-morrow."
"To-morrow!" That was the magic word that unlocked the gates and letthrough a flood of conversation consisting of excited questions andanswers and joyful exclamations that lasted until they reached Billie'shouse.
Billie asked Laura and Vi in, but they reluctantly refused, saying thattheir mothers had expressly ordered them to be home that day in time fordinner.
"We can't come over to-night," Vi called back to them, as she and Laurastarted on arm in arm. "Mother says I have to get to bed early."
"But we'll see you the first thing in the morning," added Laura. "Thevery first thing, remember that!"
"I'll say so," Billie sang back gayly, and then led her guest up theporch steps and into the house, where her mother was waiting to receivethem. Mrs. Bradley and Connie fell in love with each other at firstsight--which was the last thing needed to make Billie absolutely happy.
They went to bed early that night, the two girls snuggled in Billie'spretty bird's-eye maple bed in Billie's pretty bird's-eye maple room.
They went to bed, but neither of the girls had either the desire or theintention of going to sleep. They felt as if they never wanted to go tosleep again.
And so they talked. They talked of the next day and the vacation beforethem until they could not think of another thing to say about it.
Then they talked of the things that had happened at Three Towers Hall--ofthe "Dill Pickles" and of Amanda Peabody and Eliza Dilks. And last, butnot least, they talked in hushed tones of the mysterious little hut inthe woods and the strange man who lived there and wove fern baskets andother things for a living.
By the time they had reached Miss Arbuckle and the finding of her albumin the woods they were feeling delightfully thrilly and farther away fromsleep than ever.
"It really must be a mystery," Connie was saying, snuggling deeper intothe covers and staring at Billie's pretty face and tousled hair weirdlyillumined by the pale moonlight that sifted through the window, whenthere came a tap on the door. And right upon the tap came Mrs. Bradley,wearing a loose robe that made her look mysteriously lovely in the dimlight. She sat down on the edge of the bed and regarded the girlssmilingly.
"It's twelve o'clock," she said, and they stared at her unbelievingly."Twelve o'clock," she repeated relentlessly, "and time for girls who haveto be up early in the morning to be asleep."
"But we're not sleepy," protested Billie.
"Not a bit," added Connie.
Mrs. Bradley rose decidedly.
"Then it's time you were," she said, adding, with a little laugh: "If Ihear a sound in here ten minutes from now, I'm coming after you with abroomstick. Remember," she added, laughing back at them from the doorway,"I give you just ten minutes."
"I think you've got just the loveliest mother," sighed Connie, as sheturned over obediently with her back to Billie; "but I'm sure I never cango to sleep."
Five minutes passed, and the girls who could "never go to sleep," felttheir eyelids grow heavy and a delicious drowsiness steal over them. OnceConnie roused herself enough to say sleepily: "We'll just have to formthat Detective Club, Billie, you know."
"Yes," said Billie, already half in the land of dreams. "Whenwe--have--the time--good night, Connie----"
"Good night, Bil-lie----."
And the next they knew it was morning! And such a glorious morning hadnever dawned before--of that they were sure.
Fat Deborah, nicknamed "Debbie," who had been the cook in the Bradleyfamily for years, and who thought that gave her the right to tell thewhole family what was expected of them, from Billie up to Mr. Bradleyhimself, cooked them a breakfast of ham and eggs and cereal and toast andcorn bread, grumbling to herself all the time.
For Debbie did not approve at all of "the young folks scamperin' off jes'so soon as dey gets back home agin."
"Scand'lous, I calls it," Debbie confided to the pan of corn bread shewas busily cutting into golden brown pieces. "Don' know what Miz Bradley'lows she's thinkin' on, nohow. But these am scand'lous days--they shois." Whereupon she put on a white apron and her dignity and marched intothe dining room.
Yet in spite of her disapproval, Debbie gave the young "scalawags" thebest breakfast she could make, and from the way the young "scalawags" didjustice to it, one might have thought they did not expect to get any moreto eat for a week at least.
Then they went upstairs to pack bags with the last minute things. Billieand Connie went over the whole list backward to be sure they had notforgotten a toothbrush "or something." To them it was a very importantlist.
And when everything was done and their hats and coats on, they found totheir dismay that they still had three-quarters of an hour to wait forthe train.
"Goodness, why did Mother call us so early!" wailed Billie, sitting downon her suitcase and staring at Connie. "I can do anything but wait. Butthat I just can't do!"
"Couldn't we go over and call for Laura and Vi?" Connie suggested.
"My, they won't be up yet," said Billie hysterically, then chuckled atConnie's look of dismay. "I didn't mean quite that," she said. "But Vi isalways late."
"Then I know we'd better go over!" said Connie, going over and giving herhat one last little pat before the mirror.
But Billie had walked over to the window, and now she called outexcitedly.
"Here they come now," she reported, adding with a chuckle: "And there'spoor Teddy in the rear carrying two suitcases and something that lookslike a lunch box. Come on, let's go down."
And down they went, taking two steps at a time. Billie opened the doorjust as the two girls and Teddy came up the steps. Chet, who had run out,attracted by the noise, and was looking over Billie's shoulder, caughtsight of Teddy and the load he carried and emitted a whoop of joy.
"Hello, old moving van!" he called. "So they've got you doing it too,have they?"
Teddie set his load down
on the steps and mopped his perspiring brow.
"Yes. And you'd better get busy yourself," he retorted, adding as Chetseemed about to protest: "I've got some good news. Get your duds and I'lltell it to you on the way to the station."
That got Chet started in a hurry, and a few minutes later the young folkshad said a loving good-bye to Mr. and Mrs. Bradley, and were off, bag andbaggage, for the station.
The girls' trunks had been sent down the day before, so that all they hadto do was to check them at the station. Connie, of course, had had hertrunk checked right through to the station nearest their destination.
Chet clamored for Teddy's news, and excitedly Teddy showed him the letterfrom Paul Martinson saying that the "old boat" would be ready to sail ina few days.
"Whoop!" cried Chet joyfully, trying to wave a suitcase in the air andnearly dropping it on his toe instead. "Say, girls, you may see us evenbefore you hoped to."
"Hoped to!" sniffed Laura. "Don't you hate yourself?"
"Oh, I'm so glad!" cried Billie, her eyes shining. "It will be a lark tohave you boys drop in on us some morning when we don't expect you. Oh,it's just grand! We'll be sure to be watching for all of you."
The rejoicing was cut short by the arrival of the train a few minuteslater. The girls scurried excitedly on board, the boys handing in theirsuitcases after them.
As the train started to move Teddy ran along the platform with it andsuddenly thrust something into Billie's hand.
"Look out for those currents," he said. "They're awfully dangerous."
As he dropped back to join Chet, Billie looked down at the thing in herhand. It was a package of chocolate.