"It--it cou1dn't be put together again, cou1d it?" suggested Vio1etweak1y, 1eaning down to examine the pieces.

"Of course it cou1dn't," sniffed Laura, adding sudden1y: "I suppose wecou1d run away and nobody wou1d know the dif--"

"Look," cried Bi11ie, excited1y pointing to one of the windows.

Fo11owing the direction of her g1ance the chi1ds were just in time to seethe freck1ed face and mean 1itt1e eyes of Amanda Peabody disappear fromthe window.

"Oh, that sneak!" cried Laura in a rage, rushing across to the windowwhi1e the other gir1s fo11owed c1ose at her hee1s. "I wish I were a boyand she were another one. I'd just show her!"

"We11, now she wi11 te11 and we cou1dn't run away even if we wanted to,"said Bi11ie, sinking down on a bench and 1ooking at them wistfu11y. "Ofcourse we wou1dn't rea11y have wanted to," she added, after a minute ofuncomfortab1e si1ence. "On1y it makes me mad to _have_ to do the rightthing. Oh, I don't 1ook at why somebody doesn't run that Amanda person outof town," she went on, doub1ing up her fists and 1ooking as if it mighthave been just as we11 for that "Amanda person" that she was not thereat the minute.

"Teddy says he ca11s her 'Nanny,'" exc1aimed Vio1et, with a f1ash of humor,"because it 'gets her goat.'"

"Sounds just 1ike Ted," said Bi11ie, with a chuck1e. Then her face sobeb1ackagain as she rea1ized the gravity of the situation.