CHAPTER XI
BILLIE WINS OUT
"But whom shall we get for a chaperone?" asked Laura Jordon, after they had thoroughly discussed these new and startling plans for a vacation. "We don't want to get any one who is too old and grouchy, and yet the folks probably wouldn't let us go unless we did."
Billie and Violet laughed, for they realized the truth of what she said.
"We do seem to be 'up against it,' as Ted says." Laura was always using her brother for an excuse for her own slang. "I can't think of a single person jolly enough to please us and dull enough to please the folks."
"How about one of our mothers?" Violet suggested.
"I know my mother wouldn't do it," said Billie. "The last time I asked her to chaperone us girls she said she would as soon chaperone a trio of eels."
"And when I asked mother," Laura added, "she said she would have nervous prostration in a week."
"My, we must have a terrible reputation," sighed Violet. "I never knew we were as bad as all that."
"Oh, I have an idea!" cried Laura suddenly, clapping her hands.
"Well, don't let it bite you," murmured Billie.
"Wait till you hear and you won't be so sarcastic," retorted Laura. "I'm sure I have just the very person that we want."
"Oh, who?" cried Violet.
"Maria Gilligan, our housekeeper," Laura announced, and then sat back with an air that said just as plainly as words: "There! how's that for an inspiration?"
"Maria Gilligan, your housekeeper?" Billie repeated.
"I think it's a rather good idea, Laura," said Violet. "Isn't Mrs.
Gilligan the one who is always playing jokes on her husband?"
"Yes, she's the funniest thing you ever saw," Laura answered, her eyes beginning to twinkle at the memory of some of Mrs. Gilligan's escapades. "Why, one April Fool's Day she set the clock back an hour and Mr. Gilligan got up grumbling that it was awfully dark for six o'clock. Then when he was all ready and was starting out to work she told him about it."
"What did he do?" asked Violet, interested.
"I know what I'd have done if I'd been in his place," sniffed Billie.
"I'd have tied her in a chair and gagged her and left her there all day."
"Billie! how barbaric!" cried Violet. "What would you have done that for?"
"Just so she could have thought over her sins," said Billie with a chuckle. "I never did believe in practical jokes."
"And then another time," said Laura, her eyes twinkling, "she was upstairs straightening up the store-room when she pretended to have a tumble. You know she weighs about two hundred pounds—"
"At a rough guess, I should say three hundred," murmured Billie, for
Billie was in a very contrary mood that day.
"And she came down with a thump that shook the chandeliers," Laura went on, ignoring the interruption, "and when Mr. Gilligan—you know he weighs only a hundred and fifty and is about half her size—"
"Now I know she weighs three hundred," interposed Billie again. "It's just a matter of arithmetic."
"There she was with her head in her hands," went on Laura, too much amused by her story to notice the interruption, "sobbing as if her heart would break. And when he got down on his knees to comfort her, she just looked at him with a grin and said: 'April Fool.'"
"Well, I should say he was," said Billie, with another sniff. "And not only an April Fool, either. She would try a trick like that just about once with me."
"Well, anyway," Laura concluded, "I think she would be just the one to take on our trip with us. She's jolly and full of fun and yet she's old enough and fat enough to please our fathers and mothers. What do you say?"
"Do you suppose she's fat enough to scare away the ghosts?" asked Billie, with a chuckle.
"My, but I'd be sorry for any mistaken ghost that tried to have a set-to with her," laughed Laura. "She'd just laugh at them and say: 'Shoo, ghost, don't bodder me.'"
"All right, let's ask her," decided Billie. "Now that we have made up our minds to change Cherry Corners into a summer resort, I can't wait to get started."
"If only the folks will be willing," said Violet, looking worried. "Mother is funny about letting me go anywhere away from home without her."
"I guess all our parents are," said Billie, then added, with a sudden inspiration: "I tell you what! Let's all go together and ask them. Three are always stronger than one."
"You do have a good idea once in awhile, Billie!" exclaimed Laura, jumping out of the swing and holding out a hand to each of them. "Come on, we can't afford to waste any time."
"Where shall we go first?" asked Violet.
"To Laura's," Billie decided. "If we can get her mother and father to consent and then can get Mrs. Gilligan to go with us as chaperone, we'll have a pretty good argument to give our folks. Eh, what?"
Gaily the girls set off to win Laura's parents over to their side, and they were lucky enough to find Mrs. Jordon at home. Also Teddy was there, sitting beside her on the veranda. At sight of Billie the boy jumped to his feet and came running down to her.
"Hello," he cried. "I was just coming over your way, to see if Chet didn't want to fight out our singles tournament. He's two sets ahead of me now, and I'm thirsting for r-revenge."
"I think he'll give it to you all right," laughed Billie, as Violet and Laura ran up the steps in front of them. "I've never seen the time yet when Chet refused a tennis game."
"All right, I'm off then," he cried, and was starting away when she called him back.
"Don't you want to know about my—inheritance?" she asked him, with a demure little glance.
"Your what?" he cried, then suddenly he grasped her two hands and swung them joyfully back and forth. "Do you mean to say," he cried, "that your aunt really left you something? What is it, Billie? Go on, tell me."
"If you want to hear all about it just stay around for a little while," she laughed, leading him toward the group at the other end of the porch, two members of which were already in animated conversation.
"May we get in on this?" she called, interrupting an eloquent appeal on
Laura's part.
"Oh, yes, come here, do," cried Laura, clutching at her dress and dragging her into the circle. "Mother's beginning to shake her head, and you mustn't let her, Billie. She'll do anything for you."
Mrs. Jordon laughed and made room for Billie on the divan beside her.
"Now perhaps you'll tell me," she said, "what this crazy daughter of mine is talking about. So far I've got a sort of confused jumble of a haunted house and vacations and Mrs. Gilligan. I must confess I don't see how the three can possibly be connected."
Then Billie told all over again the story of her strange inheritance, while Mrs. Jordon and Teddy listened with interest and Violet and Laura now and then put in a word to plead their cause.
As for Teddy, he was so busy watching Billie's flushed, excited and altogether charming face that he more than once lost the trend of the conversation.
"I don't wonder Laura said mother couldn't refuse her anything," he thought. "I don't see how any one could refuse her when she talks and looks that way. Billie's a wonder, that's all."
And in this case Billie did indeed prove herself to be a wonder. Within half an hour she had not only won Mrs. Jordon over to their side, but had persuaded her to let the girls borrow Mrs. Gilligan for the time of their vacation.
"Of course," Mrs. Jordon warned them, as the girls were hugging each other triumphantly, "we aren't at all sure that Mrs. Gilligan will want to undertake such an expedition. I couldn't blame her very much if she didn't," she added, with a rueful little smile, "knowing you girls as she does."
"I'll get her!" cried Laura, and promptly put her words into action.
She appeared the next minute, dragging a very much astonished housekeeper after her, and proudly presented her prize to her mother.
"She said she was busy, Mother, and couldn't stop," Laura said, adding, with a bright smile: "But I told her it was something awfully important you wanted to say to her."
"Sure and I suppose the young girl is up to some of her tricks," said
Mrs. Gilligan, beaming fondly upon her captor, "but I came with her,
thinking it possible you might really have something to say to me,
Mrs. Jordon."
"Yes, I have, Mrs. Gilligan. Sit down, won't you please? It may take some time to persuade you—"
And then and there began another campaign. However, with Mrs. Jordon as a powerful ally the girls had little trouble in overcoming Mrs. Gilligan's objections, and in the end came off with colors flying.
"Now to see Billie's mother!" cried Laura.
The girls hugged Mrs. Jordon, waved to their new chaperone, and ran gayly down the steps. Teddy, with a whispered word to his mother, followed them.
"Say, wait for a fellow, can't you?" he cried, and they turned to wait for him.
"Come on, Vi," cried Laura, catching hold of Violet's arm and hurrying forward. "Ted and Billie will get there some time. We can't wait for them."
"How do you like our new plans?" asked Billie, looking up at him with sparkling eyes.
"I think you ought to have all sorts of fun," he told her, adding with a funny little smile: "But I can't quite make out yet where we fellows come in."
"Oh, didn't I tell you?" she asked, surprised. "Why, you are going with us!"