wonderful idea, Vi.”

   “Well, I

    would

   like to see that man again,” sighed Billie. “He seemed so sad. I’m sure he was in trouble, and I’d so like to help him.”

   “Yes and when you offered you nearly got your head bit off,” observed Laura.

   Billie’s eyes twinkled.

   “That’s what Daddy says always happens to people who try to help,” she said. “I feel awfully

   sorry for him, just the same,” she finished decidedly.

   Then Laura did a surprising thing. She put an arm about Billie’s shoulders and hugged her fondly.

   “Billie Bradley,” she said sadly, “I do believe you would feel sorry for a snake that bit you, just because it was only a snake.”

   “Perhaps that’s why she loves

    you

   ,” said Vi innocently, and scored a point. Laura looked as if she wanted to be mad for a minute, but she was not. She only laughed with the girls.

   They had as good a time as they had expected to have in town that afternoon—and that is saying something.

   First they went shopping. Laura had need of a ribbon girdle. Although they all knew that a blue one would be bought in the end, as blue was the color that would go best with the dress with which the girdle was to be worn, the merits and beauties of a green one and a lavender one were discussed and comparisons made with the blue one over and over, all from very love of the indecision and, more truly, the joy that looking at the dainty, pretty colors gave them.

   “Well, I think this is the very best of all, Laura,” said Billie finally, picking up the pretty blue girdle with its indistinct pattern of lighter blue and white.

   “Yes, it is a beauty,” replied Laura. “I’ll take that one,” she went on to the clerk.

   After that came numerous smaller 

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