Part 1 (1/2)
The Outdoor Girls at Bluff Point
by Laura Lee Hope
CHAPTER I
TO THE FRONT
”I know it's utterly foolish and unreasonable,” sighed A and looking wistfully out of the , ”but I simply can't help it”
”What's theher eyes reluctantly frouely at A?”
”No, she only spoke,” drawled Grace Ford, extricating herself froht-colored cushi+ons on the divan, preparatory to joining in the conversation ”I ask you, Mollie, did you ever know A important?”
”Why yes, I have,” said Mollie unexpectedly ”In fact, she is about the only one of us Outdoor Girls who ever does say anything iaze from the landscape and looked at the speaker with a twinkle in her eyes
”What will you have, Mollie?” she asked whimsically ”When you become complimentary, you are apt to rouseto say, please say it, and letthe i part--”
”Why, I'irls looked at her in surprise ”For Camp Liberty and the Hostess House, you know Ipeople up I feel,” she looked around at the it hard to explain just what she meant, ”sort of--lost”
The three chuathered in the co 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
The girls, as my old readers will doubtless remember, had helped establish a Hostess House at Cath and ti our young fighters, entertaining their loved ones, and, in the end, sending thee and happy reat adventure
And now the girls, co service to others, had been sent, ainst their will, home to Deepdale for a rest that they sorely needed
To-day they had gathered in Betty's house to discuss the rather hazy plans for their brief vacation And Airls They were, undeniably and heartily, homesick for Camp Liberty and their work at the Hostess House
”Lost?” Mollie repeated Auess that would pretty well describe the feeling I've had for the last few days Sort of restless and ai what to do next”
”Goodness!” cried Grace whi a yawn, ”this is terrible, you know If we don't look out, we'll be forgetting how to enjoy ourselves”
”That would be queer, wouldn't it?” agreed Mollie, with a chuckle as she started to resu ”Especially for the Outdoor Girls, who used to kno to enjoy themselves remarkably well”
A brief silence followed, broken only by the rustle of paper as one of the girls turned a page Then, so suddenly that Mollie jumped nervously and Grace almost upset a box of chocolates at her elbow, A to her feet
”I can't stand it another et out and do so on my nerves”
”Goodness, the child'sat her chum with a mixture of amusement and syht, or set the town on fire? Whatever it is, I'uess Ia little ashamed of her outburst ”Only, after soin Deepdale seems so quiet”
”Well, if all you want is noise, we'll easily fix that,” said Mollie briskly, running to the piano and gathering in Grace and A,” she commanded, ”and I'll , half protesting, the girls obeyed while Mollie conscientiously ood her threat with the piano, and it was into this uproar that Betty Nelson stepped a moment later