"You will take your chances with the common herd, my dear," Laura Ann
said firmly. "You really need not be alarmed, though, for I shall draw
the fatal slip. I always do. Then I shall go up-country and engage four
boards at a nice white house with green blinds, and forget to ask how
much they will cost--the 'boards,' I mean--and whether they'll take
Billy at half-price. You'll all like my white house, but you won't be
able to stay more than one night on account of the expense. So you'll
turn me out of the B-Hive and I shall--"

"Oh, don't do anything else--don't!" T.O. groaned. "That will be doing
enough."

"We shall have to find a _very_ cheap place," Loraine said,
thoughtfully, too intent on the fate of the Grand Plan to listen to
pleasantries. "Somewhere where it won't cost much of anything."

"Such an easy place to find!" murmured Laura Ann. "I see myself going
straight to it!"

"We've _got_ to go to it, on account of--" Loraine nodded toward
the sleeping little figure in the softest chair. "Girls, Billy is all
worn out."

"So are you," Laura Ann said tenderly.

"And you," retorted Loraine.

The Talentless One, unintentionally left out, sighed an infinitesimal
sigh, preparatory to smiling stoutly.