“You’ve got to tell me,” returned Billie. “Go on, dear. What did Miss Walters say?”
“Well, she told me if I didn’t do better in my math she would have to write a note home to Dad. Can you imagine Dad getting a note like that, Billie—or Mother? It would just about k-kill them! And I’m so perfectly d-dumb at figures!”
Billie got up and began to walk about the room. She took off her coat and smoothed back her hair while Vi watched her with tear-dimmed eyes.
“B-Billie, aren’t you going to do something?”
“Nothing else, but!” returned Billie cheerfully. “I’m merely clearing the decks for action. Suppose you get out your books and papers and things and we’ll try to find out what’s wrong. I reckon we’ll get to the root of this matter in a jiffy.”
“Oh, B-Billie! When you talk like that I know that everything is going to be all right. If you will only help——”
Billie glanced up briefly into Vi’s tear-stained face.
“You knew I’d help, didn’t you, Vi?”
Vi’s glance wavered, fell.
“I know I’ve been a fool, Billie. But I did think you were sort of side-tracking Laura and me for that wild and woolly Edina Tooker.”