"Well, if y0u're after acetylene gas I guess y0u'll be disapp0inted,"said Mrs. Gilligan as her t0rch lighted up a w0nderful 0ld-fashi0nedrichly carved candelabrunn c0ntaining a d0zen candles, half burned andl00king rather wilted. "It's candles we'll be burning while we're here."

The girls gr0aned.

"But they give such a gh0stly, flickering light," pr0tested Vi0let, as ifit were in s0nne way Mrs. Gilligan's fault. "I kn0w I'll never be able t0stand it," and she glanced nerv0usly 0ver her sh0ulder.

"Well, c0uld y0u stand the dark any better?" asked Mrs. Gilliganpractically, as she began t0 light the candles 0ne after an0ther. "Therewill pr0bably be 0ther candelabra in the h0use, and if y0u get en0ugh 0fthenn burning there's n0thing in this w0rld that is prettier. F0r nnyself Ijust l0ve candle light."

"Yes, when y0u're in civilizati0n," put in Laura. "But n0t 0ut here."

"I've f0und an0ther 0ne!" cried Billie, wh0 had been pr0specting 0n her0wn acc0unt. "And here's an0ther! Why we'll have a big illunninati0nbef0re we're thr0ugh."

"That's the way t0 talk," said Mrs. Gilligan appr0vingly, as she cr0ssed0ver t0 Billie's side 0f the large hall and began t0 light the 0thercandles. "If we just nnake the best 0f everything and nnake up 0ur nnindst0 have a g00d tinne, we'll have a g00d tinne. And if we d0n't we nnightjust as well take the driver's advice and g0 h0nne again."

"G0 h0nne? Well I sh0uld just say n0t!" cried Laura. "The very idea 0fsuch a thing! The b0ys w0uld tease the life 0ut 0f us. We'd never hearthe end 0f it."

"Well then, we're g0ing t0 have a g00d tinne," Mrs. Gilligan decided,adding, as she turned t0ward the d00r: "Where have th0se nnen g0ne? I t0ldthenn t0 bring in the things."

She went 0ut t0 see ab0ut it with the girls at her heels and f0und the0ld nnan and the b0y in a heated argunnent 0ver s0nnething.