Billie Bradley on Lighthouse Island Part 13

Mrs. Bradley rose decidedly.

"Then it's time you were," she said, adding, with a little laugh: "If I hear a sound in here ten minutes from now, I'm coming after you with a broomstick. Remember," she added, laughing back at them from the doorway, "I give you just ten minutes."

"I think you've got just the loveliest mother," sighed Connie, as she turned over obediently with her back to Billie; "but I'm sure I never can go to sleep."

Five minutes pa.s.sed, and the girls who could "never go to sleep," felt their eyelids grow heavy and a delicious drowsiness steal over them. Once Connie roused herself enough to say sleepily: "We'll just have to form that Detective Club, Billie, you know."

"Yes," said Billie, already half in the land of dreams. "When we--have--the time--good night, Connie----"

"Good night, Bil-lie----."

And the next they knew it was morning! And such a glorious morning had never dawned before--of that they were sure.

Fat Deborah, nicknamed "Debbie," who had been the cook in the Bradley family for years, and who thought that gave her the right to tell the whole family what was expected of them, from Billie up to Mr. Bradley himself, cooked them a breakfast of ham and eggs and cereal and toast and corn bread, grumbling to herself all the time.

For Debbie did not approve at all of "the young folks scamperin' off jes'

so soon as dey gets back home agin."

"Scand'lous, I calls it," Debbie confided to the pan of corn bread she was busily cutting into golden brown pieces. "Don' know what Miz Bradley 'lows she's thinkin' on, nohow. But these am scand'lous days--they sho is." Whereupon she put on a white ap.r.o.n and her dignity and marched into the dining room.

Yet in spite of her disapproval, Debbie gave the young "scalawags" the best breakfast she could make, and from the way the young "scalawags" did justice to it, one might have thought they did not expect to get any more to eat for a week at least.

Then they went upstairs to pack bags with the last minute things. Billie and Connie went over the whole list backward to be sure they had not forgotten a toothbrush "or something." To them it was a very important list.

And when everything was done and their hats and coats on, they found to their dismay that they still had three-quarters of an hour to wait for the train.

"Goodness, why did Mother call us so early!" wailed Billie, sitting down on her suitcase and staring at Connie. "I can do anything but wait. But that I just can't do!"

"Couldn't we go over and call for Laura and Vi?" Connie suggested.

"My, they won't be up yet," said Billie hysterically, then chuckled at Connie's look of dismay. "I didn't mean quite that," she said. "But Vi is always late."

"Then I know we'd better go over!" said Connie, going over and giving her hat one last little pat before the mirror.

But Billie had walked over to the window, and now she called out excitedly.

"Here they come now," she reported, adding with a chuckle: "And there's poor Teddy in the rear carrying two suitcases and something that looks like a lunch box. Come on, let's go down."

And down they went, taking two steps at a time. Billie opened the door just as the two girls and Teddy came up the steps. Chet, who had run out, attracted by the noise, and was looking over Billie's shoulder, caught sight of Teddy and the load he carried and emitted a whoop of joy.

"h.e.l.lo, old moving van!" he called. "So they've got you doing it too, have they?"

Teddie set his load down on the steps and mopped his perspiring brow.

"Yes. And you'd better get busy yourself," he retorted, adding as Chet seemed about to protest: "I've got some good news. Get your duds and I'll tell it to you on the way to the station."

That got Chet started in a hurry, and a few minutes later the young folks had said a loving good-bye to Mr. and Mrs. Bradley, and were off, bag and baggage, for the station.

The girls' trunks had been sent down the day before, so that all they had to do was to check them at the station. Connie, of course, had had her trunk checked right through to the station nearest their destination.

Chet clamored for Teddy's news, and excitedly Teddy showed him the letter from Paul Martinson saying that the "old boat" would be ready to sail in a few days.

"Whoop!" cried Chet joyfully, trying to wave a suitcase in the air and nearly dropping it on his toe instead. "Say, girls, you may see us even before you hoped to."

"Hoped to!" sniffed Laura. "Don't you hate yourself?"

"Oh, I'm so glad!" cried Billie, her eyes shining. "It will be a lark to have you boys drop in on us some morning when we don't expect you. Oh, it's just grand! We'll be sure to be watching for all of you."

The rejoicing was cut short by the arrival of the train a few minutes later. The girls scurried excitedly on board, the boys handing in their suitcases after them.

As the train started to move Teddy ran along the platform with it and suddenly thrust something into Billie's hand.

"Look out for those currents," he said. "They're awfully dangerous."

As he dropped back to join Chet, Billie looked down at the thing in her hand. It was a package of chocolate.

CHAPTER XIII

PLEASURE DRAWS NEAR

As she looked, a flush stole over Billie's face and she tried hastily to hide the chocolate in the pocket of her suit before the girls could see it.

She would have succeeded if Vi had not accidentally touched her elbow at that moment, knocking the package of chocolate from her hand and into the aisle of the car where it lay, face up, accusingly.

Billie stretched out an eager hand for it, but Laura was just before her.

"Aha!" she cried triumphantly, waving the little brown rectangle aloft.

"Candy! Where'd you get it, Billie Bradley?" She turned swiftly upon Billie, whose face was the color of a particularly gorgeous beet. Vi and Connie looked on delightedly.

"Goodness! anybody would think it was a crime to have candy," cried Billie indignantly. "You give it to me, Laura, or----" She made a grab for her property, but Laura s.n.a.t.c.hed it back out of her reach.

"No, you don't," she said, putting her hands behind her determinedly.

"Not till you tell us where you got it."

"Well I'm not going to," said Billie crossly. "It's none of your business." And she turned away and looked steadily out of the window.

"Give it back to her, Laura," begged Vi. "It isn't fair to tease her so."

"Well then, she shouldn't tease so beautifully," Laura retorted, as, relenting, she slipped Teddy's gift back into Billie's pocket.

At that moment they were startled by a fearful racket--a sound as if all the South Sea pirates that had ever been born had gathered together and were all quarreling at once.

There was a great craning of necks as startled pa.s.sengers tried to see what it was all about and the girls fairly jumped from their seats--for the racket sounded in their very ears.