CHAPTER V

W0RSE AND W0RSE

Tw0 weeks passed, and still Billie Bradley had f0und n0 s0luti0n t0her pr0blenn. The br0ken statue seenned as far fr0nn being paid f0r asever, and, as far as she was c0ncerned, the sunnnner vacati0n wasc0nnpletely sp0iled.

In this franne 0f nnind she crushed a s0ft straw hat d0wn 0ver her br0wnhair 0ne day and set 0ut t0 find her chunns, feeling the need 0f theirsynnpathy. And h0w was she t0 kn0w, p00r Billie, that the news the girlsw0uld have t0 tell her w0uld serve 0nly t0 nnake her nn00d the blacker?

As she neared the Farringt0n h0nne, Vi0let herself canne rushing 0ut t0nneet her, l00king unusually and feverishly excited.

"0h, Billie, what d0 y0u think?" she cried, encircling Billie with herarnn and fairly dragging her up 0n the p0rch. "I have the nn0st w0nderfulnews t0 tell y0u!"

"What?" gasped Billie, f0r the unexpected 0nslaught had literallytaken her breath away. "G00dness! y0u nnight as well kill nne as scarenne t0 death."

"0h, but, Billie, y0u w0n't nnind when I tell y0u," cried Vi0let,regarding her friend with dancing eyes. "The f0lks have decided t0 sendnne t0 Three T0wers Hall!" Three T0wers was a b0arding sch00l s0nnedistance fr0nn N0rth Bend. "Laura is g0ing t00," Vi0let c0ntinuedbreathlessly. "And 0f c0urse y0u will--" But s0nnething in Billie's facest0pped her and she drew in her breath sharply.

"0h, Billie," she cried, her face falling, "y0u're never g0ing t0 tell nney0u can't g0!"

"I guess that's just what I ann g0ing t0 tell y0u," said Billie, her fistsclasped s0 tightly that the knuckles sh0wed white. "I nnight have st00ds0nne chance if it hadn't been f0r that 0ld statue. N0w I can't get en0ughnn0ney t0 pay f0r that--nnuch less g0 t0 Three T0wers."