Part 7 (1/2)
”The Governued Betty ”It always lets you know the worst at once”
A gleam of hope came into Grace's eyes
”Then you think there's a chance?” she queried, sitting up straight and beginning to look a little et well?”
”Why, of course,” said Betty, adding reasonably: ”If you would tell o on”
”That's all it said--what I told you,” replied Grace, relaxing wearily
”Just said that he ounded--nothing eta laith a good ton, and heI don't know”
”Here coh the”I guess,” she added thoughtfully, ”Amy probably feels pretty bad too”
”But she's not his sister,” cried Grace, with a sudden flare-up of jealousy that made Betty s how Grace would have taken it if it had been Roy instead of Will who had been wounded
But Grace's little fit of jealousy did not last long at sight of Amy's drahite face and the traces of tears in her eyes Instead, she opened her arirl as not Will's sister, yet loved him too, and for a moment they cried on each others shoulders
Meanwhile Betty and Mollie wandered over to theand stood looking thoughtfully out upon the lawn and not seeing any of it
”Goodness!” said Mollie after aher shoulders a little impatiently, ”of course, it's terrible to have Will wounded, and I can i all cut up about it, but she--and Amy too--act as if he were dead”
”I know,” said Betty softly, then added, looking a little quizzically at Mollie; ”But you know I don't bla myself in their place Of course we love Will, but suppose it had been Allen, for instance, or Frank”
Mollie started and uttered a little cry of protest
”Oh, but that would be different,” she said weakly, then catching Betty's eye, added soberly: ”I see what you mean, of course I suppose I would act just the sa had their cry out and feeling better and much more cheerful in consequence, Grace and Amy called to them and they crossed the room quickly
”We've decided,” said Amy then, ”that, since we can't find out any ht as well make the best of it”
”And ant to talk about our trip,” Grace added
”Our trip?” echoed Mollie ”Why I thought of course ould give that up”
”I did too,” explained Grace ”But when I spoke of it to Dad, he said ere to do nothing of the kind He said we couldn't do poor Will”--in spite of all her resolution her voice broke on the na, and that he would let us know as soon as he had any authentic word fro too”
And so it happened that a few hours later a very sober group of Outdoor Girls started on what should have been a joyful trip, with heavy hearts and gloo Even the new racer did not serve to liven the party
The only tihed hen they found Dodo and Paul, the incorrigible twins, hidden away under soo 'long,” Dodo protested vehe,” Paul had added
”No, you ot to,'” Mollie contradicted them, while the others looked on airl for sister and come down You too, Paul We're in an awful hurry”