The Outdoor Girls

“ Never before in all their rather adventurous lives had the Outdoor Girls been so thrilled. It seemed incredible to them that their Old Maid of the Mountains whom they had befriended out of pity should turn out to be the heroine of such a genuine romance.
As for the little old lady herself, she professed an eager desire to get back to the city, and although she gave as her reason a natural wish to have legal matters in regard to her dead brother’s will settled, the girls knew that in reality she was hoping to meet James Barton, the wronged lover, of her younger days. ”

“ And while the girls are marveling at their almost miraculous escape from a terrible death, time will be taken to introduce the Outdoor Girls to those readers who have not yet met them and also to review briefly a few of the exciting and interesting adventures they have had up to the time of this present narrative. ”

“ Spoken like an Outdoor Girl!" cried Betty, and at the challenge in her voice, Grace and Amy instinctively straightened up.
"We're all Outdoor Girls," said Grace stoutly.
"And we'll show you," Amy added, with a ring in her voice, "that we are not afraid to go any where that you can go."
"Fine!" cried the Little Captain, her eyes shining. "Come on, then. What chance has a pesky old wind against four Outdoor Girls, I'd like to know!" ”

“ However, they seated themselves dutifully in a row upon the bench, "for all the world like an orphan asylum out for an airing," as Mollie said later, and gratefully stretched out their sodden shoes to the blaze.
They were cold and they were wet and they were fast becoming very hungry, all of which might have been expected to form a very good reason why they should have been miserable. But they weren't miserable--not at all. To the Outdoor Girls the thrill of an adventure always more than counterbalanced the possible discomforts attending it. ”

“ To the Outdoor Girls, active and fun-loving by nature, to be quiet for a few days was nothing short of torture. So now, even though there was still more than a little fear of the “Thing” in their hearts, they found relief in the promise of adventure.
They put up some sandwiches and fruit in a basket in case they were not able to get home by noon. Then they locked the door of the little lodge and started down the steps. They hesitated before starting into the woods, and Mollie had a happy thought. ”

“ Others may care for just a brief one. The initial volume, entitled "The Outdoor Girls of Deepdale; Or, Camping and Tramping for Fun and Health," told how Betty, Mollie, Grace and Amy decided to go on a walking tour. Incidentally they solved the mystery of a five hundred dollar bill, and won the lasting gratitude of a Mr. Henry Blackford, a young business man.
In the second book, "The Outdoor Girls at [16] Rainbow Lake; Or, The Stirring Cruise of the Motor Boat Gem," there was a queer ghostly mystery on an island, but the girls were a match for it. ”

“ Those who are familiar with the Outdoor Girls will remember when the mischievous, adorable twins, Dodo and Paul, had been kidnapped by a villain who demanded an outrageous sum of money for their safe return and how the same twins had been rescued from a ship, wrecked on the rocks of Bluff Point near the cottage where the Outdoor Girls were summering. And it was true that whenever Mrs. Billette or Mollie were tempted to be impatient with the twins they remembered the despair of that dreadful time and dealt gently with the erring Dodo and Paul, aggravating little wretches that they could be. ”

“ This left the girls to their own devices, since they did not care to go with the boys.
"Who's for a walk in the woods?" asked Mollie, and they all were eager to come along. In their short skirts and leggings they found it easy going, even in comparatively deep snow.
"Oh, it's great to be an outdoor girl!" exulted Betty, as she trudged along beside Grace.
"Yes. I wonder if Carrie Norton, the girl who fell out of the tree, would like this?" ventured Amy. ”

“ In the sixth book, "The Outdoor Girls at Ocean View," the girls have many good times and stirring adventures. The discovery of a box, containing veritable riches in diamonds, led to the kidnapping of Betty and Amy and their subsequent rescue.
And now that spring had dipped into summer, and they were again in Deepdale, was this ride of theirs, begun so joyously, about to end in tragedy?
"Frank, Frank!" screamed Grace, "if you don't stop, I'll jump, I will—I will!"
"No, you won't! Sit where you are!" her brother Will commanded sternly. "Sit still, I tell you!" ”

“ Betty answered, with a smile. "I knew you didn't mean it, dear."
And so the long hours of the afternoon wore away, dusk came, shrouding the swiftly moving landscape in a veil of mystery. So engrossed [36] were the girls in contemplation of the changing beauty of nature that it seemed almost sacrilege when the blatant lights of the train flashed forth, bringing them violently back to a realization of time and place.
"Don't you want any supper?" Mr. Nelson was asking, in his pleasant voice. "It isn't like the Outdoor Girls to overlook meal time." ”

“ And so, after this, the Outdoor Girls did really make a determined effort to forget all about the possibility of tramps lurking in the neighborhood and set about, as only they knew how, to crowd each day to the brim with fun. ”

“ What are four girls anyway against two men?”
“A great deal if they happen to be Outdoor Girls,” said Betty staunchly. “We haven’t lived in the open so much without developing pretty good muscles, you know.”
“Just the same,” Grace persisted, “I reckon we’d have had a pretty hard time making them move.”
“Well, we did make ’em move, anyway, which is the main point,” said the Little Captain, sensibly.79 “And now suppose we forget about them. Look,” she pointed eagerly ahead of them, “there’s where Rainbow Lake begins. Not very far now, girls.”
“Hip, hip, hooray!” shouted Mollie irrepressibly. ”

“ And, to the credit of the outdoor girls be it said that, now they had taken the "plunge" none of them showed the white feather. They were brave under any circumstances and this very bravery strengthened their tired nerves.
On they splashed through muddy puddles, protecting themselves from the rain as best they could by their coats. But occasionally the wind would whip them open, letting in the moisture that already had soaked the garments well.
"There doesn't seem to be any shelter," remarked Amy, hopelessly, when they had gone perhaps half a mile.
"Oh, don't give up yet," suggested Mollie. ”

“ And so, at the end of a wonderful outing, with life stretching gloriously before them, we will once more sadly, reluctantly, wave farewell to the Outdoor Girls.
THE END THE OUTDOOR GIRLS SERIES By LAURA LEE HOPE
Author of the "Bobbsey Twin Books" and "Bunny Brown" Series.
12mo. BOUND IN CLOTH. ILLUSTRATED. UNIFORM STYLE OF BINDING.
These tales take in the various adventures participated in by several bright, up-to-date girls who love outdoor life. ”

“ A CLEW
As the Outdoor Girls were nearing camp Mollie finally broke the long silence that had fallen upon them.
“Something’s got to be done for that old lady,” she said, explosively. “She oughtn’t to live up there all alone. ”

“ Both of the hurt soldiers were recovering, and the reunion of father and sons was most affecting.
“Now for a final swim below the falls!” cried Mollie one day, when the outing was coming to an end,
“We ought to have a good time! now there is no ghost to disturb us,” put in Amy.
“A chocolate for the first one to enter the water!” exclaimed Grace, waving her ever-present candy box in the air.
“That settles it! I’m off!” burst out Betty; and then all made a wild dash for the swimming pool. And here let us say good-bye to the Outdoor Girls. ”

“ For more than an hour the Outdoor Girls and their friends roamed about the clearing inspecting the tent critically, inside and out, and picking flowers in between times. It was Will who first suggested a change.
"Why not take a walk about the country?" he asked. "I guess we have seen all there is to be seen here. Come on, everybody. I want to get a bigger appetite for lunch."
"All right; where shall we go?" Betty agreed readily. "Your aunt must have told you about this part of the world, Mollie. Where can we find excitement?" ”

“ Get on your raincoats, girls, or you'll be drenched!" and, fastening the last strap of her curtain, Mollie donned her garment—the girls and Mrs. Mackson carrying them in a seat locker that Mollie had utilized for this purpose.
But the rain came in at the place where there was no side curtain, sweeping over them all. The wind blew fiercely, and the auto swayed in the blast. Miserable indeed was the plight of the Outdoor Girls. ”

“ However the day was fine, the water of the river was as calm as a lake and the Gem flew across the sparkling water like a gull, bringing a flush of pure excitement and pleasure to the faces of the girls. Danger! what danger could there be in this staunch little craft, with Betty at the wheel?
They were half way across the river, now! three quarters. The gay pleasure craft flaunting up and down the river were becoming more numerous and Betty slackened speed. Her breath came more quickly and her hands tightened on the wheel. ”

“ I miss the work and the long hours of entertaining and cheering people up. I feel," she looked around at them as though finding it hard to explain just what she meant, "sort of—lost."
The three chums, Mollie Billette, Grace Ford, and Amy Blackford were gathered in the comfortable library of Betty Nelson's home—Betty being the fourth of the merry quartette, dubbed the "Outdoor Girls" by the people of Deepdale, because of their love of the open and of outdoor sports. ”

“ Then came a hard scramble down a snowy hill, but at length they were on the frozen river, and headed for the place where the fishing was going on.
"We are surely living up to our reputation as outdoor girls," panted Betty as she walked along beside Grace.
"Yes—all but Amy. She is strictly in-doors now."
"Poor child! She does seem to have the most trouble!" ”

“ On horseback from Denver through Estes Park as far as the Continental Divide, climbing peaks, riding wild trails, canoeing through canyons, shooting rapids, encountering a landslide, a summer blizzard, a sand storm, wild animals, and forest fires, the girls pack the days full with unforgettable experiences. ”

“ The Outdoor Girls were ordinarily afraid of nothing real and human, but to be held up at the point of a pistol would unnerve almost any one, and the struggle the girls had made not to give way to their fears at the time had made them more nervous still. ”

“ And indeed the Outdoor Girls had little reason to wonder who their correspondents might be, for as regularly as clockwork those precious letters with the strange foreign postmarks were delivered to their eager hands.
There were other letters with that foreign postmark, too, for in addition to their work at the Hostess House, the girls had faithfully kept up a large correspondence with the brave boys who had already crossed the water and were waiting impatiently for their chance "at the Huns." ”

“ But the outdoor exercise comes as an accessory. It is still unfortunately true that boys more than girls take camp life for granted. Yet girls, and students particularly, should realize that it is economy of time to be out of doors. This they need both for their work and for their health. Outdoor exercise, with its bath of fresh air and the natural bath of freshly circulating blood it brings with it, its training school for the whole girl, is as essential as the tub or sponge bath. ”

“ Most of the girls remained, however, for few had brought rain coats or umbrellas, there being no hint that morning of the deluge that was to come. Then the rain gradually slackened, and the pupils departed.
"Don't come to school to-morrow, if you don't feel well," urged Miss
Greene, as Amy and her chums left.
"Oh, I'll be all right," she brightly answered.
"I wish we were going to start on our tramp to-morrow!" exclaimed Betty as they walked along the damp country road toward their homes, the sweet smell of the newly-watered earth mingling with the scent of grass and flowers. ”

“ Look behind, Mollie. Are they still coming?"
"Strong," reported Mollie, with a glance over her shoulder. Then, as they reached the trail that led through the woods, she reined in a little, motioning for Betty to take the lead. "You know the trail better," she said.
Over the rough woodland trail their progress necessarily became slower, a fact which the girls did not relish at all. It gave them time to reflect [177] on what a really rash adventure they had embarked, and any but the Outdoor Girls might have turned back even at this last minute. ”

“ Mollie hastened to say. "But I love diving."
"Then why not enter?" asked Mr. Kennedy. "I am chairman of that committee. I'll put the names of you girls down, if you don't mind. It doesn't commit you to anything."
The girls had no formal objections.
"You are real out-door girls, I can see that!" complimented Mr. Stone. "You must like life in the woods and on the lake."
"Indeed they do," spoke Aunt Kate. "They walked—I think it was two hundred miles, just before coming on this cruise; didn't you, Betty?" ”

“ On one of these occasions, when it had seemed impossible to avoid a collision, Amy called out sharply:
“Oh, Betty, don’t you think we had better go back?”
And Betty replied with a queer little laugh:
“Might just as well go ahead as back now. We’ll be there in a minute. Don’t worry.”
The words were scarcely out of her mouth when two craft running neck and neck and driven recklessly slipped out from behind a sailboat and drove directly down upon the Gem. It seemed impossible that the Outdoor Girls could escape disaster. ”

“ They swam about languidly and found to their surprise that they became quickly and easily tired.
"I never knew before how much influence mind has over matter," said Mollie, after they had come out on the beach again. "I declare, even my muscles feel depressed!"
"As Outdoor Girls we're getting to be marvelous failures," remarked Grace, as she wrung the water from her skirt and plumped down in the sand. "I feel as weak as a rag."
"I guess it isn't much use trying to enjoy ourselves," sighed Betty plaintively. ”