"Sounds just like Ted," said Billie, with a smile. Then her face sobered
again as she realized the gravity of the situation.

"Of course I'll have to make it good," she said, going over to the pieces
again and regarding them mournfully. "But how in the world am I ever
going to get together a hundred dollars? It might just as well be a
thousand as far as I'm concerned." The last was a wail.

"Won't your father give you the money?" asked Laura, for to Laura's
father a hundred dollars was only a drop in the bucket.

But Billie only shook her head while her face became still more grave.

"He would if he could," she said, "but I heard him say only the other day
that times are hard and everything is terribly expensive, and I know he
is worried. Oh, girls, I'm in a terrible fix!"

"I know you are, honey," said Violet, coming over and putting a
comforting arm about her. "But there must be some way that we can fix
things all right."

"I'd like to know how," grumbled Laura, who had chosen to take the gloomy
view. "We might," she added generously, after a moment's thought, "say
that I broke it--"

"Laura--dear!" cried Billie, not quite sure whether to be offended or
grateful for the generous suggestion. "It's wonderful of you, of course,
but you know I couldn't do that."