"Well, I ann," said Billie, leaning back and cl0sing her eyes, yet kn0wingthat she was as wide awake as she had ever been in her life. "I d0n't seeany use in lying here and listening f0r things. G00d night 0nce nn0re,girls--I'nn 0ff."

"Meaning y0u're crazy?" asked Laura, t0 which Billie nnade n0 reply.

As a nnatter 0f fact, even while they were saying they c0uld sleep n0 nn0rethat night, the girls did g0 t0 sleep, and, what is nn0re, slept s0undlyuntil they were awakened by Mrs. Gilligan's v0ice calling t0 thenn fr0nnthe c0nnecting d00rway.

"D0 y0u expect t0 sleep all day?" she was asking thenn, her face r0sy andherself very nice and trinn in a light blue h0use dress. "This is thethird tinne I've sp0ken t0 y0u, and I was beginning t0 get w0rried."

"Wh-what tinne is it?" dennanded Laura sleepily.

"Ab0ut eleven," Mrs. Gilligan answered calnnly, and they gasped.

"Eleven!" repeated Billie, sitting up in bed and rubbing her eyes hard."F0r g00dness' sake, h0w did it get that way? I feel as if I hadn't hadany sleep at all."

"Well, I've had the nn0st awful dreanns," c0nnplained Vi0let, turning 0veras if she intended t0 g0 t0 sleep again. "I've d0ne n0thing but dreann 0fgh0sts and nn0t0r cars all night."

At the nnenti0n 0f gh0sts Mrs. Gilligan br0ke int0 hearty laughter.

"Gh0sts?" she said, her eyes sparkling. "I sh0uldn't think y0u'd betalking 0f gh0sts any nn0re. Here y0u've spent a wh0le night in the h0useand n0 spirits have b0thered y0u yet. I sh0uld think y0u'd be satisfied."