Billie Bradley and Her Inheritance; Or, The Queer Homestead at Cherry Corners

little while?" cried Billie Bradley, as she gave a little exu

of very blue and very indignant eyes upon her chum. "I t

forgot," Billie was asserting when Violet F

o quarrel on a day like

huckle: "We're just having what Miss Beggs" (Miss Beggs bein

ed Laura mockingly. "I don't see

with a chuckle as they turned to stare

ad just closed the week before. Laura had forgotten a book which she prized highly and was in hope that the janitor, a good

it, for it was a pretty place. Still, being only forty miles by rail from New York City, they had been taken to the roaring metrop

Bend boasted a jewelry

a's father,

from him that Billie, whose real name was Beatrice, had taken her brown eyes and brown hair and even that mer

eautiful to look upon, kept just the check on h

"Chet"-a boy as different from his sister as night is from

illie herself. Teddy had entertained a lively admiration for Billie Bradley since he was seven and she was s

ter of Richard Farrington, a well-known lawyer of Nor

iolet, who was tall and

rt of perpetual peace-

d blue-ey

in July when the roses were out and the birds w

e, waving her hand to Nellie Bane, another girl in her

a, adding with a little worried frown: "Oh, I do hope

eabody," cried Viole

ie's

e in my young life," Bil

a, glancing after the lanky figure of Amanda Peab

s she with anybody, for that matter. As far as the gi

not have accounted for her unpopularity, she added to them a tendency to

ould tolerate and so Amanda had lived in practical ostraci

ner that brought the school into view. "She can't help her mean disposition, I supp

l you would need a microscope to see it. There's the j

nute later, rather red in the face and out o

brows lighting with pleasure as he looked at the girls.

let eagerly. "We were j

Heeg

d Mr. Heegan, his Irish brogue coming to the

e in quickly. "Laura wants to know if y

pulling out his bunch of keys. "It must be a verra important book," he added, smiling at th

Laura explained. "And I wou

' home, but I'll be comin' back in a few minutes to lock up. You'd best not be stayin' here then," h

and jubilantly the girls ran through the empty, echo

ooking around at them with her hands on the

ickedly. "Come on, Vi; we've got to hurry if w

ked Billie, as Violet opened the door and they c

om Laura int

room and picking up from an inner corner a prettily bound book. "Just

Laura a minute later, for Billie had seated herself at th

usly on the desk and fixing them with her best schoo

n her. Dropping both her air of command and her dignity, Billie scurried

nted them, as she dodged nimbly in and out among

desperate lunge, she almost had her hand on Billie's dr

the back of the room, put her foot upon a steam radiato

, and on the top of it

kcase shook and the statue seemed about to top

," Billie was defying them, w

h it were not quite sure whether to fall or stay where

and then stood dumbly