The Meadow-Brook Girls Afloat; Or, the Stormy Cruise of the Red Rover

you young ladies to

pocket at that moment, "If you have any trouble, Dee Dickinson will see that you are

Meadow-Brook Girls. Her brother's fishing boat had been left in the care of this man by her brother

n in answer to his words of warning.

isn't by any means i

ou advise us n

ough at times, you know

that we were coming

a year since he used the old sco

d us to take the houseboat were it not perfectly safe fo

t a fit place for a party of young ladies," Dee replied, with a shrug of his shoulders. "Of course, if you are set

yly. "If it stays on top of the lake we surely

f miles dow

us so that we m

ere'll be some things you will wish to do to it. Having it here at Wantagh will be much more convenient for you. I'll t

at the boat is not safe?" i

, turning to her. "I've told you that it isn't the k

atter ourselves," retur

d. Suit y

to the boat now before anythin

t here," persisted Dickinson. "Do

She was regarding the

the sort to tow it down. It probably will leak some, not having been in the water this season until yesterday. You had better go over to the hotel and get you

t further words. The girls loo

our brother, I must say I don't admire y

I thay," agreed

t have said that," r

riet said it," r

entleman advised. I hope it is dinner. I never could get used to luncheon in the middle of the day

r he wouldn't have sent me the message he did. However, we shall see. There is no need to borrow trouble. We shall know how

s practice in the little village had listened to the call of the West. He had left in Wantagh the old scow, dignified by the name of "houseboat" to which was attached the further title of "Red Rover." It was in this lumbering craft that Miss Elting and her young friends, the Meadow-Brook Girls, had planned to spe

neighbors, thus managing to eke out a precarious living. So far as the girls were able to find out, Dickinson's character was above reproach. Miss Elting c

when Dee appeared at the hotel, red

he old thing,"

e?" inquired the

ock this very minute. You can go down there

hings about it which we shall wish

ok his

said. "I can't spare

ggested the guardian, not certain whether he would resent her

ou wish, I-yes, of

. Dickinson led the way down to th

g toward what appeared, at first gl

red at all. It had once had a prime coat of yellow paint, but this had succumbed to storm and sunshine. The

e," explained the man, for wa

rt Elting had bought it for a small sum of money, and had built the house over it. He and a friend, had spent many days and nights abo

other words the house did not extend the full length of the boat. At

e outside, we shall have the nightm

at the inside," re

ach end. The girls en

w warm it is in here. Mr. Dickinson,

n shook

e knock out

hen did not please them. The floor was covered with rubbish. There was food scattered about, the walls were greasy. At one side s

erior of the old craft. She rested one hand on the stove, but withdrew it q

whether we shall be able to do anything w

tly. "A good scrubbing and a little fixing u

ne. "That is, you know Miss Elting was to fu

ermit you to do that,"

the meantime, look the place over and see what else you need. I'll go bac

paint the boat?" qu

. "Surely, you wouldn't paint a

nt the inside of the boat

e and show me where to get the paint. I'm off, girls. I think we'd bette

ing as to what was necessary to be done to the boat. They were full of enthusiasm despite the discouraging condition in

quarters of an hour later. Two men were in the ca

the girl. "Now, men, get to work and do your best! If you do a good job you get your mo

tin and wooden pails, scrub brushes, soap and

day. There'll be another man down here with some windows, soo

picking up such dry sticks as she could fi

uch confidence in that stovepipe," she exclaimed laughingly

pan and was already raising a cloud

it through her fingers over the floor of the boat. All the others save Harriet had fled, driven out by the choking dust. The sweeping was now att

e," she declared. "Thee the greathe

lting. "I shall have to write to Bert and t

ons. Arrayed in these, the girls took up scrub brushes and soap and got to work on the inside of the cabin. The

n begin to paint it." The slap, slap of the painters' brushes already was heard on the outside.

egan their work. Tommy could not resist trying to paint too. Seizing a brush she began laying about her, sending the paint into her hair, over her clothes and spat

red paint," said Harriet laughingly. "Some red d

, white and blue then, and we could hang her o

h the ceiling!" asked Miss Elting,

e beams, covering the beams themsel

head to one side and regarding the ceiling reflectively.

answered Jane pro

en," sugge

suggest

boat was beginning to brighten. But they saw that, to do a thoroughly good job, at least two coats of paint would be

ceased and the men were heard talking. J

d. "Am I paying you for holding conversat

equently ran out to see what they were doing. The result was that the "Red Rover" was painted in record time, both outside and in, and a co

d reached their rooms at the hotel and looked into their mirrors. Their paint-streaked counten

owing morning, and were first

get to work," declared Jane

reakfast," replied Margery, then

part of the Camp Girls' organization. The attempts of two mischief-making camp girls to disgrace Harriet in the eyes of the camp, Harriet's brave rescue of her enemies during a severe storm and her generous method of d

ow-Brook Girls to race them to the town of Meadow-Brook, furnished the theme for the narrative. While following the fortunes of the road the girls met with numerous adventures. The reader will recall their encounter with the tramps, their rescue by Sybarina, the Gipsy, and

Now that summer had come again, accompanied by Miss Elting, they had planned to spend

oard the boat. There was much to be done, and all were eager to settle their home and to begin the fascinating life that was before them, a life that not one of the girls had ever before enjoyed. The painters came soon after, and began putt

de and out, had been completed, including a coat of paint on the floor. The painters

the name on the side of the boat. The 'Red Rover' you know?

g. "But we shall have to wait until the red paint dr

ble and work all day and all night. Girls, we've got to have a new stove, and we must have a lot of oth

t, I'm afraid," answere

u man," Jane shouted at a passing farmer. "Want to earn fif

es. All the bedding had been shipped by freight, as had the folding cots, the cooking utensils and their tent. Harriet proposed that they make the tent into an awning over the upper deck. She thought it wo

ed to Jane's great-grandfather. It was supposed to be water-tight and in this the Meadow-Brook Girls decided to place all their extra clothing. A rag carpet was found that answered very well to cut up into rugs to lay on the floor. The carpenter made a ladder b

as as nearly complete as they were able to make it. Just before sunset they went out to watch Miss Elting paint the name on the side of t

heers for the arti

nute," cal

is it?" dema

t. Mith Elting hathn't painte

should have to stand in the

und," said Harriet. "I think a name on one side will answer our purpo

get that we've got to settle the house in the morning. I want you

nner. We haven't had a bite to eat since mo

eat," laughed Tommy. "You mutht learn to eat atmo

ow fat on that sort of di

at, like Buthter," rep

gged the houseboat out into the lake, a few rods, and anchored it. They did not explain their action. The other girls laughed at them, and Miss Elting qu

at had been delivered at the hotel the previous night. The car was piled high with bundles of various

hen come back in time to take breakfast with you girls. We shan't t

boat if you want to. I do

et out of working to-

tly. "If I were ath fat ath you, I might. I'll work a

r ahead. "We'll do all the before-breakfast work, and we'll h

moments thereafter, but that was all. They were too well used to Crazy Ja

led down to the river they opened their eyes a little wider, but neither spoke. Nor was there a word said until they ha

s nowhere in sight. The shore end of the rope, with which it had been secured to the dock when they a

questioned Jane, with e

has sunk? Something has been going on here. Something occurred the first day we were here, to excite my suspicion. And