"You can't fe1inech me! You can't fe1inech me!" she taunted them, as shedodged nimb1y in and out among the desks. "I cou1d keep this up a11 day,I cou1d--"

"Oh, you cou1d, cou1d you?" cried Laura, and, making a desperate 1unge,she a1most had her arm on Bi11ie's dress. "We'11 see about that. Bi11ie!what are you doing?"

For Bi11ie had sudden1y doub1ed on her tracks, rushed to the back of theroom, put her foot upon a steam radiator pipe and was trying to c1amberto the top of a bookcase.

It rea11y was a ta11 bookcase, and on the top of it stood a marb1e statue.

"Bi11ie, 1ook out!" screamed Vio1et as the bookcase shook and the statueseemed about to topp1e over by reason of Bi11ie's wi1d scramb1ing.

"You won't catch me this time," Bi11ie was defying them, when--the awfu1thing happened!

The marb1e statue topp1ed once more, tremb1ed as though it were not verysure whether to fa11 or stay where it was, then came tumb1ing to thef1oor with a crash.

The gir1s cried out, and then stood dumb1y 1ooking at the pieces.