Amy Brooks

“ Patricia had noticed Nancy's cheeks when they suddenly went white, she had seen the look of fear in her eyes, and she was wild with curiosity to know what it meant.
When they had started out Nancy had thought that the ride could not last too long, but the sight of the tall, dark man at the edge of the forest had changed all that, and when Marcus drove in at the gateway of Glenmore, and drew up at the steps, Nancy was the first to spring out. Without stopping in the hall to talk over the ride with the others who had enjoyed it, she bounded up the stairs, and soon was in her room. ”

“ He can take a plain little cottage, with a small piece of land, and plant just the right kind of trees on the place, train vines over the porch so as to render it charming, and make the bit of land into a tiny park, so dainty, so altogether lovely that people will come from far and near to see the 'beauty spot.' Now do you care in the least what his name is?"
"Indeed I do not," Dorothy said, firmly.
"And oh, how glad I am that he is not Professor Bonfanti!" Nancy said. ”

“ Nancy shook her head, but the hand that held Dorothy's tightened with a nervous grip.
When the girls were once more chattering together, Nancy, leaning toward Dorothy, whispered softly: "That dark man that stood near the woods watching us as we passed,—did you see him?"
"Why, yes," whispered Dorothy, "but—" then she understood Nancy's fear. "Why, Nancy dear, your old Uncle Steve, who stole you from us once, is not living. Don't you remember that, and besides, that man didn't look the least bit like him."
"That man looked just like Bonfanti!" ”

“ Dainty was to accompany him, and that Aunt Charlotte would be with them, and that Dorothy and Nancy were to spend those months at a fine school for girls, and Vera Vane, merry, mischief-loving Vera, would be eagerly looking for them on the day of their arrival. One would almost wonder that the thought of being away at school should appeal to Dorothy and Nancy, but it was the novelty that charmed them. ”

“ Nancy said, indignantly.
"Now, Nancy Ferris, Glenmore doesn't close until next week, and here are you two at home."
"That is no sign that we were sent," said Dorothy. "Mother sent for us."
"Oh, was that it?" Patricia said saucily, and then turning to Mollie she asked:
"How do you like my dog? He isn't a pretty dog, but he knows everything, and he always minds. My friends think it is just wonderful the way he minds me. I taught him to. Stop!" she cried. "Stop, I tell you. I won't let you chew the edge of my skirt. Will you stop? ”

“ It always required time for Arabella to recover from any new idea, or unusual happening.
The other girls were giving the four who had just returned a gay welcome, and Dorothy slipped her arm around Betty Chase, and told her the fine news that during the summer they were both to be at Foam Ridge.
"Oh, Dorothy!" cried Betty, her dark eyes shining, "I was delighted when mother wrote that we were going there, just because I so love to be at the shore, and now to think that you and Nancy are to spend the summer there,—oh, it is such a dear surprise."
"But listen, every one!" cried Valerie Dare. ”

“ The progress of the "Randy Books" has been one continual triumph over the hearts of girls of all ages, for dear little fun-loving sister Prue is almost as much a central figure as Randy, growing toward womanhood with each book. The sterling good sense and simple naturalness of Randy, and the total absence of slang and viciousness, make these books in the highest degree commendable, while abundant life is supplied by the doings of merry friends, and there is rich humor in the droll rural characters. ”

“ For once Arabella was quick-witted.
"Miss Fenler is just coming up the stairs," she said.
Patricia forgot the scolding that she had been preparing for Arabella, and instead she said:
"Hurry! Put out the light. You can undress in the dark, but for goodness' sake, don't stumble over anything!" ”

“ The soft red girdle gave a touch of color, but not nearly enough to please Patricia.
At the village store she had purchased ribbons of many colors, from which she had made bows or rosettes of every hue, and these she had tacked upon her slippers. Her hair was tied with a bright blue ribbon, and over the shoulders of her blouse she had sewed pink and yellow ribbons. Narrow green edged her red girdle.
Blue and buff, rose and orange, straw-color and lavender, surely not a tint was missing, and the result was absolutely comical! One would have thought that a lunatic had designed the costume. ”

“ They were on their way to the class-room, when Patricia and Arabella joined them.
"Is the social to be a dressy affair?" Patricia asked, adding: "I hope it is, because I shall be dressy, whether any one else is or not."
They had reached the class-room door so that there was no time for either Dorothy or Nancy to reply to the silly remark if they had cared to do so.
At eight o'clock nearly all the pupils had assembled in the big reception-room, and the hum of voices told that each was doing her best to outdo her neighbor. Near the center of the room a group of girls stood talking. ”

“ Dorothy said, and she was just in the midst of telling how Patricia had brought the big cat home, and next had appeared with a little dog, when Mollie said:
"Here she comes now. Why, she has a dog with her!"
"That's the one," said Nancy, "and she has him on a leash now, just as she did at Glenmore. I wonder if her aunt likes him. He tears and chews everything he can get hold of." ”

“ It was but a short distance, and they ran part of the way to make up for lost time, but when they reached the gate they found, as Valerie glanced at her tiny watch, that it was later than they thought, and was already about time for them to turn toward Glenmore, if they did not wish to be late.
Hours were strictly kept at the school, and all pupils must return from recreation in time to give themselves personal care, and be in the lower hall at five-thirty for a friendly chat before going to the dining-room at six.
Mrs. Marvin insisted that every pupil look her best at all times. ”

“ The novelty of the year in children's books, exquisitely illustrated and printed, and appealing to every lover of pets. The only way to really know and enjoy this wonderful volume is to get it and live with it. ”

“ Betty said that she had not heard that.
"I'll tell you to-morrow just how to find it, but we can't stop now. There isn't time."
"Late!" cried Valerie. "I guess you two are late. We think we have to hurry to get to Glenmore on time, and you are going away from school every minute. Why don't you go to the well, if you want to, to-morrow."
Arabella thought that they ought to turn back, but Patricia seized her hand, and the two commenced to run. ”

“ The companies won't refuse to use it because it wasn't invented by a man!'
"Now, isn't that just like a boy? What time do I have to do things like that? Doesn't he know that I have lessons, and all sorts of things that hinder me?"
"Why do you girls laugh at everything I say, just as Rob does?" she concluded, looking in surprise, from one merry face to the other. [Pg 213]
"Oh, but Vera, you are funny when you sputter," said Elf.
"I s'pose I am," agreed Vera, "and I don't much care. I'm sure I'd rather make you laugh, than make you look sober."
"Look! Look!" cried Dorothy. ”

“ Elf stirred uneasily, and Vera gave her shoulder a vigorous shake.
"Wake up!" she commanded. "Wake up, and help me plan what we'd better say when we have to face Mrs. Marvin." [Pg 62]
"Oh, I'm sleepy," drawled Elf. "We're smart enough to say something when she stares at us over her spectacles. We'll say we—"
A wee snore finished the sentence, and Vera turned over with a lurch that shook the bed.
She thought it very hard that she must lie awake and worry, while Elf could sleep; in short, she wanted some one to worry with her. ”

“ Mrs. Marvin felt that Patricia had really intended to frighten Nancy, and she decided to have a quiet little talk with her, and if [Pg 146] possible, learn what had prompted her to do so unkind a thing.
It was an odd combination that "Glenmore," one of the best of schools for girls in the country, modern in every respect, and absolutely "up-to-date," should be situated in a town that was quaint, and picturesque, with inhabitants as fanciful, and superstitious as one would find if he had traveled back a century. ”

“ Marvin had told Miss Fenler to closely watch both girls who had chosen to spend the week's vacation at the school.
School without lessons would be fine, they thought.
"I think Arabella Correyville, if she were here alone, would be very little care, but Patricia Levine is as full of queer notions as any girl could be, and she plans the oddest mischief, and then drags slow little Arabella into it. Patricia never tries to help her out, and she invariably laughs if Arabella is caught. ”

“ Yes!" they cried, and ran to join Rob and Vera and Elf.
For a small circus it proved to be quite a show. There were trained dogs that were really clever, there were trained elephants, but best of all there were some handsome horses, whose riders did wonderful vaulting, tumbling, and riding, springing over hurdles, and through covered hoops.
When they left the tent the girls were delighted with the show, and Rob said it made him think of his early ambition to be a circus performer. ”

“ If Bob is near, I can always make him get me down, but Bob isn't here to get me out of this mess, and Elf won't even try to keep awake to help me think."
She concluded that it was very unfeeling [Pg 63] for Elf to be so sleepy. Her cheeks were flushed, and her head ached.
"O dear!" she whispered, softly, "Dorothy Dainty and Nancy Ferris are full of fun, but they never get into a regular fix such as I'm in now. I don't see how they manage to have such good times without ever getting mixed up in something that's hard to explain. ”

“ Valerie admitted. "Say, girls! You all know the two that are always together, the one with goggles that we've dubbed the 'medicine chest,' and her chum who wears all the rainbow colors whenever and wherever she appears?" ”

“ When the lunch hour arrived, Patricia [Pg 196] felt a bit "queer," while Arabella felt decidedly "queerer."
Neither cared to eat, but they dared not stay away from the dining-room, so both went down to the table, but they made only a pretense of eating.
Early in the afternoon both felt hungry. Patricia rushed to the closet, and returned with some chocolate éclaires, and a bottle of olives.
"I'll eat an éclaire," said Arabella, "but maybe I'd better not eat olives with it."
"Well, of all things!" cried Patricia. "Let me tell you what you don't know. Éclaires and olives just b'long together. ”

“ If she happens to come down when the girls are out, she runs, the moment she sees any of us coming."
"It's a long time ago that she was sick," Betty replied, "but she must be all right by this time. I wonder why she ran when she saw us? We don't know her well enough to stop her to talk. She's bigger than we are, and she's three classes above us."
"Who told you she stayed in her own room all the time?" continued Betty.
"Patricia Levine said so," Valerie said. [Pg 168]
"Why, Valerie Dare, you know Patricia tells—well—things that aren't really true," said Betty. ”

“ They know he cannot rest well with his mind excited and his blood quickened by tales of adventure, but are at a loss to answer the natural plea for a bed-time story in a way that shall interest and yet soothe. ”

“ Oh, there was nothing to fear about being sent home, but the fact that thus she would lose a deal of fun that she could so enjoy with a lot of lively girls of her own age.
She resolved to appear as off-hand as usual, unless Mrs. Marvin should say that she must not remain at Glenmore, when she would throw pride to the winds, and plead, yes, even beg to continue as a pupil of the school. She turned and looked at Elf, still soundly sleeping. [Pg 66]
"O dear! I'm the only girl in school who has anything to fret over," she whispered. ”

“ Once Betty Chase told her that she knew a girl whose name was "Patience," who was always called "Patty." [Pg 109]
"My family does not like nicknames," was the reply in a low voice, as she turned away.
The day after the sleigh-ride, Lina Danford, one of the youngest pupils, came rushing down the stairway in great excitement.
"My amber necklace has been stolen! Girls! Do you hear? My amber beads are gone! Some one has been in my room and stolen them! Somebody ought to catch the burglar!"
Dorothy, standing near, put an arm around her, and tried to comfort her. ”