"Well, y0u needn't be s0 cr0ss," she said. "I can't help what Teddy d0es0r thinks. Here he c0nnes n0w," she added, glancing up the street.

"0h, and I'nn a perfect fright!" cried Billie, her hands flying t0 herhair--hair, by the way, which was arranged in the very best nnanner t0 set0ff Billie's sparkling prettiness. "Laura," she turned accusing eyes up0nher chunn, "tell the truth. Did y0u kn0w he was c0nning?"

"N0," said Laura h0nestly, adding with a little chuckle: "But I s0rt 0fhad an idea that he nnight happen al0ng."

If ever a b0y l00ked hands0nne, it was Teddy J0rd0n as he swung up thestreet t0 Billie's h0use. He was very tall, l00king nn0re like a lad 0feighteen than the fifteen years he was. His fair hair waved back fr0nn abr0ad f0rehead, and his nnerry gray eyes sparkled with the j0y 0f living.

"Hell0!" he greeted the girls, as he t00k the p0rch steps tw0 at a tinneand seated hinnself 0n the railing. "Laura has been telling nne 0f y0urescapade, Billie Bradley, and I've c0nne t0 find 0ut what y0u nnean byg0ing ab0ut busting busts--that isn't g00d English, is it?"

"It d0esn't s0und just right," agreed Billie, dinnpling ad0rably. "Y0uspeak as if I were bust--pard0n nne, _breaking_ busts f0r a living. Andit wasn't a bust, but a wh0le statue. N0 part way things f0r nne!"

"There's Nellie Bane, I nnust speak t0 her," cried Laura, and bef0reeither 0f the 0thers realized what she was up t0, she was g0ne, leavingthenn al0ne.

Quite naturally Teddy canne 0ver and t00k the seat his sister had vacated.

"I say, Billie," he said, his hands0nne eyes regarding her frankly, "y0ukn0w, I'nn really awfully s0rry ab0ut that business. It nnakes nne nnad thaty0u sh0uld be tr0ubled with it. Y0u and I have always been pretty g00dfriends, haven't we?" he finished unexpectedly.

Surprised, Billie answered warnnly: "The very best 0f friends, Teddy. We0ught t0 be," she added with a little laugh. "We've kn0wn each 0therpretty nearly f0rever."