The girls watched her breathlessly and sighed with relief when she drew out the checks.
"All safe and sound," she said. "Now get on your hats and coats, girls. We're apt to have a wild scramble at the last if you aren't ready beforehand."
So, laughing and excited, the girls obeyed her, putting on their wraps hurriedly and laughing at Laura when she got her hat over one eye.
"Here, put it on straight," cried Billie, performing that service for her friend. "We don't want to have our reputations ruined the minute we step on the platform. Who ever heard of a perfect lady with her hat over one eye?"
"Well, if you don't like my company—" Laura began good-naturedly, as she squinted at her distorted reflection in the little two-by-four mirror set in the tiny space of wall between the windows. "Gracious, Billie, you took it off of one eye to put it over the other. Do I look more like a perfect lady with my hat over my right eye?"
Billie chuckled and pushed the hat over Laura's nose, at which Laura would have protested vigorously and, if must be, forcefully, if there had not been other passengers in the train besides themselves. As it was, she had to be content with an indignant stare, which Billie, with twinkling eyes, calmly turned her back upon.
"Roland! Roland!" called the conductor in stentorian tones, and with little squeals of excitement the girls found their hand baggage, gave one last little pat to their hats, and started toward the door.
"You go first, Mrs. Gilligan," cried Violet, pushing that woman before her.
"I wonder if Vi expects the ghosts to meet us at the station?" chuckled Laura in Billie's ear. "She reminds me of a relative of ours who always pushes her escort in front of her when she meets a strange dog."
Billie giggled, caught her grip on the arm of one of the seats, rescued it again, and finally made her way with the others to the platform.