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106 pages

English

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In the first volume of the beloved "Outdoor Girls" series, readers are introduced to Mollie Billette, Betty Nelson, Amy Stonington, and Grace Ford, a group of friends who love outdoor adventures so much that they decide to start their own club for hiking, camping, sports and more. As they plan their first expedition, the girls stumble across some money -- and tensions flare between the group and some jealous outsiders.

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Children's

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Publié par	The Floating Press
Date de parution	01 février 2017
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781776676897
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0064€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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THE OUTDOOR GIRLS OF DEEPDALE
* * *
LAURA LEE HOPE

*
The Outdoor Girls of Deepdale First published in 1913 Epub ISBN 978-1-77667-689-7 Also available: PDF ISBN 978-1-77667-690-3 © 2015 The Floating Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. While every effort has been used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in The Floating Press edition of this book, The Floating Press does not assume liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in this book. The Floating Press does not accept responsibility for loss suffered as a result of reliance upon the accuracy or currency of information contained in this book. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. Many suitcases look alike. Visit www.thefloatingpress.com
Contents
*
Chapter I - A Fluttering Paper Chapter II - The Tramping Club Chapter III - Jealousies Chapter IV - A Taunt Chapter V - Amy's Mystery Chapter VI - The Leaky Boat Chapter VII - To the Rescue Chapter VIII - Closing Days Chapter IX - Off on the Tour Chapter X - On the Wrong Road Chapter XI - The Barking Dog Chapter XII - At Aunt Sallie's Chapter XIII - The Missing Lunch Chapter XIV - The Broken Rail Chapter XV - "It's a Bear!" Chapter XVI - The Deserted House Chapter XVII - In Charge Chapter XVIII - Relieved Chapter XIX - A Little Lost Girl Chapter XX - The Boy Peddler Chapter XXI - The Letter Chapter XXII - A Perilous Leak Chapter XXIII - The Man's Story Chapter XXIV - By Telegraph Chapter XXV - Back Home
Chapter I - A Fluttering Paper
*
Four girls were walking down an elm-shaded street. Four girls, walkingtwo by two, their arms waist-encircling, their voices mingling in rapidtalk, punctuated with rippling laughter—and, now and then, as theirhappy spirits fairly bubbled and overflowed, breaking into a few waltzsteps to the melody of a dreamy song hummed by one of their number. Thesun, shining through the trees, cast patches of golden light on the stonesidewalk, and, as the girls passed from sunshine to shadow, they made abright, and sometimes a dimmer, picture on the street, whereon were othergroups of maidens. For school was out.
"Betty Nelson, the idea is perfectly splendid!" exclaimed the tallest ofthe quartette; a stately, fair girl with wonderful braids of hair onwhich the sunshine seemed to like to linger.
"And it will be such a relief from the ordinary way of doing things,"added the companion of the one who thus paid a compliment to her chumjust in advance of her. "I detest monotony!"
"If only too many things don't happen to us!" This somewhat timidobservation came from the quietest of the four—she who was walking withthe one addressed as Betty.
"Why, Amy Stonington!" cried the girl who had first spoken, as she tossedher head to get a rebellious lock of hair out of her dark eyes. "The veryidea! We want things to happen; don't we, Betty?" and she caught thearm of one who seemed to be the leader, and whirled her about to lookinto her face. "Answer me!" she commanded. "Don't we?"
Betty smiled slightly, revealing her white, even teeth. Then she saidlaughingly, and the laugh seemed to illuminate her countenance:
"I guess Grace meant certain kinds of happenings; didn't you, Grace?"
"Of course," and the rather willowy creature, whose style of dressartistically accentuated her figure, caught a pencil that was slippingfrom a book, and thrust it into the mass of light hair that was like acrown to her beauty.
"Oh, that's all right, then," and Amy, who had interposed theobjection, looked relieved. She was a rather quiet girl, of thecharacter called "sweet" by her intimates; and truly she had thedisposition that merited the word.
"When can we start?" asked Grace Ford. Then, before an answer could begiven, she added: "Don't let's go so fast. We aren't out to make awalking record to-day. Let's stop here in the shade a moment."
The four came to a halt beneath a great horsechestnut tree, that gavewelcome relief from the sun, which, though it was only May, still hadmuch of the advance hint of summer in it. There was a carriage block nearthe curb, and Grace "draped herself artistically about it," as MollieBillette expressed it.
"If you're tired now, what will you be if we walk five or six miles aday?" asked Betty with a smile. "Or even more, perhaps."
"Oh, I can if I have to—but I don't have to now. Come, Betty, tell uswhen we are to start."
"Why, we can't decide now. Are you so anxious all of a sudden?" and Bettypulled down and straightened the blue middy blouse that had been rumpledby her energetic chums.
"Of course. I detest waiting—for trains or anything else. I'm just dyingto go, and I've got the cutest little traveling case. It—"
"Has a special compartment for chocolates; hasn't it, Grace?" askedMollie Billette, whose dark and flashing eyes, and black hair, with justa shade of steely-blue in it, betrayed the French blood in her veins.
"Oh, Grace couldn't get along without candy!" declared Betty, with asmile.
"Now that's mean!" exclaimed Grace, whose tall and slender figure, andface of peculiar, winsome beauty had gained her the not overdrawncharacterization of "Gibson girl." "I don't see why Billy wants to alwaysbe saying such horrid things about me!"
"I didn't say anything mean!" snapped Mollie, whose pseudonym was moreoften "Billy" than anything else. "And I don't want you to say that Ido!" Her eyes flashed, and gave a hint of the hidden fire of temper whichwas not always controlled. The other girls looked at her a bitapprehensively.
"If you don't like the things I say," she went on, "there are those whodo. And what's more—"
"Billy," spoke Betty, softly. "I'm sure Grace didn't mean—"
"Oh, I know it!" exclaimed Mollie, contritely. "It was horrid of me toflare up that way. But sometimes I can't seem to help it. I beg yourpardon, Grace. Eat as many chocolates as you like. I'll help you. Isn'tthat generous?"
She clasped her arms about the "Gibson-girl," and held her cheek close tothe other's blushing one.
"Don't mind me!" she cried, impulsively. Mollie was often this way—in alittle whirlwind of temper one moment, and sweetly sorry for it thenext, albeit her little spasms of rage were never serious, and seldomlasted long.
"Forgiven," murmured Grace. "But I am really anxious to know when we canstart our Camping and Tramping Club. I think the idea is perfectlysplendid! How did you come to think of it, Betty?"
"I got the idea from a book—it isn't original by any means. But thenI always have been fond of walking—out in the country especially.Only it isn't so much fun going alone. So it occurred to me that yougirls would like to join. We can take a nice long tramp the firstopportunity we get."
"Just us four?" asked Grace.
"No, not necessarily. We can have as many members as we like."
"I think four is a nice number," spoke Amy. She was rather shy, and notgiven to making new friends.
"We four—no more!" declaimed Mollie. "Suppose we do limit it tofour, Betty?"
"Well, we can talk of that later. And I do so want to talk of it. Ithought we'd never get out of school," and the four who had just beenreleased from the Deepdale High School continued their stroll down themain street of the town, talking over the new plan that had been proposedthat morning by Betty Nelson—the "Little Captain," as she was oftencalled by her chums, for she always assumed the leadership in their funand frolics.
"Will we just walk—walk all the while?" asked Grace. "I'm afraid Ishan't be able to keep up to you girls in that case," and she swung abouton the sidewalk in a few steps of a mazy waltz with Amy.
"Of course we won't walk all the while," explained Betty. "I haven't allthe details arranged yet, but we can set a certain number of miles tocover each day. At night we'll stop somewhere and rest."
"That's good," sighed Grace, with a glance at her small and daintilyshod feet.
"Oh, here comes your brother Will!" Betty called to her.
"And that horrid Percy Falconer is with him," went on Mollie. "I—I can'tbear him!"
"He's seen Betty—that's why he's hurrying so," spoke Grace. "Probablyhe's bought a new cane he wants to show her."
"Stop it!" commanded Betty, with a blush. "You know I can't bear him anymore than you girls can."
"You can't make Percy believe that—my word!" and Mollie imitated themannerism perfectly. For young Falconer, be it known, was partial to goodclothes of a rather flashy type, and much given to showing them off. Hehad very little good sense—in fact, what little he had, some of hisenemies used to say, he displayed when he showed a preference for prettyBetty Nelson. But she would have none of his company.
"I don't see why Will wants to bring him along," remarked his sisterGrace, in a petulant tone. "He knows we don't like him."
"Perhaps Will couldn't help it," suggested Amy.
"That's nice of you to say, Amy," commented Grace. "I'll tell Will—sometime when I get a chance."
"Don't you dare! If you do I'll never speak to you again!" and the pinksurged to a deeper red in Amy's cheeks.
"Betty'd much rather have Will pick up Allen Washburn," remarked Mollie,in decisive tones. "Wouldn't you, Bet?"
"Oh, please don't say such things!" besought Betty. "I don't see why youalways—"
"Hush, they'll hear you," cautioned Grace. "Let's pretend we don't seethem. Hurry up! I've got a quarter, and I'll treat you to sodas. Come onin Pierson's drug store."
"Too late!" moaned Billy, in mock-tragic tones. "They are waving tous—we can't be too rude."
Will Ford, the brother of Grace, accompanied by a rather overdressedyouth slightly older, had now come up to the group of girls.
"Good afternoon!" greeted Percy Falconer, raising his hat with anelaborate gesture. "Charming weather we're having—my word!" Percy ratherinclined to English mannerisms—or what he thought were such.
"Hello, Sis—and the rest of you!" said Will, with a more hearty, andcertainly a more natural, air. "What's doing?"
"Grace was going to treat," said Amy slowly; "she is s