"We know what you mean," said Violet, soothingly. "And if you don't want us to, we'll try not to hope too hard."
"Or if we do, we'll keep it to ourselves," added Laura, and Billie hugged them fondly.
"I don't want you to stop hoping," she cried plaintively. "And I don't want to be a wet blanket, either. I'm just afraid, that's all."
The girls swung back and forth in silence for a few minutes. Then it was
Laura who spoke.
"When are you going out to look over your property, Billie?"
"Why, I don't know," answered Billie thoughtfully. "As soon as we can arrange it, I suppose. Dad says it's a full day's trip to get there, so we would have to make some arrangement to stay over night."
"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."