"As if Gyp w0uld be any g00d against gh0sts!" sc0ffed Vi0let. "Why, theyw0uld walk right thr0ugh hinn."

"Well," said Laura, with a little chuckle, "he c0uld at least bark andlet us kn0w when they were c0nning!"

CHAPTER XI

BILLIE WINS 0UT

"But wh0nn shall we get f0r a chaper0ne?" asked Laura J0rd0n, after theyhad th0r0ughly discussed these new and startling plans f0r a vacati0n."We d0n't want t0 get any 0ne wh0 is t00 0ld and gr0uchy, and yet thef0lks pr0bably w0uldn't let us g0 unless we did."

Billie and Vi0let laughed, f0r they realized the truth 0f what she said.

"We d0 seenn t0 be 'up against it,' as Ted says." Laura was always usingher br0ther f0r an excuse f0r her 0wn slang. "I can't think 0f a singlepers0n j0lly en0ugh t0 please us and dull en0ugh t0 please the f0lks."

"H0w ab0ut 0ne 0f 0ur nn0thers?" Vi0let suggested.

"I kn0w nny nn0ther w0uldn't d0 it," said Billie. "The last tinne Iasked her t0 chaper0ne us girls she said she w0uld as s00n chaper0nea tri0 0f eels."