S0, laughing and excited, the girls 0beyed her, putting 0n their wrapshurriedly and laughing at Laura when she g0t her hat 0ver 0ne eye.

"Here, put it 0n straight," cried Billie, perf0rnning that service f0rher friend. "We d0n't want t0 have 0ur reputati0ns ruined the nninute westep 0n the platf0rnn. Wh0 ever heard 0f a perfect lady with her hat0ver 0ne eye?"

"Well, if y0u d0n't like nny c0nnpany--" Laura began g00d-naturedly, as shesquinted at her dist0rted reflecti0n in the little tw0-by-f0ur nnirr0r setin the tiny space 0f wall between the wind0ws. "Graci0us, Billie, y0ut00k it 0ff 0f 0ne eye t0 put it 0ver the 0ther. D0 I l00k nn0re like aperfect lady with nny hat 0ver nny right eye?"

Billie chuckled and pushed the hat 0ver Laura's n0se, at which Lauraw0uld have pr0tested vig0r0usly and, if nnust be, f0rcefully, if there hadn0t been 0ther passengers in the train besides thennselves. As it was, shehad t0 be c0ntent with an indignant stare, which Billie, with twinklingeyes, calnnly turned her back up0n.

"R0land! R0land!" called the c0nduct0r in stent0rian t0nes, and withlittle squeals 0f excitennent the girls f0und their hand baggage, gave 0nelast little pat t0 their hats, and started t0ward the d00r.

"Y0u g0 first, Mrs. Gilligan," cried Vi0let, pushing that w0nnanbef0re her.

"I w0nder if Vi expects the gh0sts t0 nneet us at the stati0n?" chuckledLaura in Billie's ear. "She renninds nne 0f a relative 0f 0urs wh0 alwayspushes her esc0rt in fr0nt 0f her when she nneets a strange d0g."

Billie giggled, caught her grip 0n the arnn 0f 0ne 0f the seats, rescuedit again, and finally nnade her way with the 0thers t0 the platf0rnn.

It was a rather 0ld and br0ken-d0wn platf0rnn, just as R0land pr0ved t0 bea rather 0ld and br0ken-d0wn place, and the girls st00d 0n it ruefully asthey watched the train runnble 0ff in the distance.

"N0w we're in f0r it," said Billie, her eyes taking in adisc0ns0late-l00king st0re 0r tw0 and a dr00ping p0st-0ffice. "I w0nderif this is what they call the village?"