The Meadow-Brook Girls Under Canvas; Or, Fun and Frolic in the Summer Camp

d Margery Brown, shaking back a lock

Grace Thompson, more familiarly

er that climb up the hill. I'm perishing. If you knew what si

regarded Mar

r face is as red as a beet. I wish you

disdainfully. "I'm not

too fully absorbed in her present occupation to give heed to the remark. "I'm

he here?" as

ething to do at home. She is a much better girl than either you or

only fourteen. By the time I'm her age I wil

es and darning so

ok her head

be awful!"

I like to keep house. Every girl ought to know a

lain cooking," retorted Margery. "Plain cook

t is like Crazy Jane. You don't want to be called another 'Crazy Jan

es snapping threateningly. "Tommy doesn't know a biscui

f the heat," begged Hazel. "

art. A heap of daisies that she had pulled up by the roots, lay in her lap, regardless of the dirt that was accumulating on h

iffed Buster. "Did you ever

things," answer

thtay; I go-Oh!" Tommy glanced up wit

t to suit you?" sm

hen animated, Grace's was an impish face, made mo

rgery, now evincing a mild

thea t

a shore," n

father and mother. But I don't want to go. I wa

think you are going to the sea shore

ney to go to the sea shor

d her head

f money, I thuppothe. But I d

do y

thel. The Oracle

tion, no further doubts remained i

d fortunes, and Grace being an only child had much, finer clothes than

merchants, the former's father being a druggist, while the f

riet's father was a bookkeeper in the local bank, and on his moderate salary was doing his best to give his daughter and yo

re years she would finish her course at the high school. From that point on, the way

life and spirits, popular with everyone who knew her, and a superior being in the estimation of the three girls who were her close friends, even

mmy giving way to the kinder and more mature disposition of Harriet Burrell. As Hazel had already said, Harriet at that mo

u do not wish to!"

t want to, and I don't," de

summer. Still, she should go if her folks wish her to do s

hen again, it wouldn't be fair for Tommy to go away like that and leave us all alone here to mope thr

y. That shows a selfish spirit. If Harriet were here I know she wo

read people lectures. No, Hazel Holland, she doesn't do anything of the sort

ed Hazel, her eyes growing bright. "Sh

e and looking inquiringly at the newcomer who was leisurely making h

d Hazel. "And you see if she doesn't have something fine

Big Four." The young teacher exerted a great influence over the four Meadow-Brook Girls; she had been especially helpful to Harriet and a closer relation than that of teacher and pupil existed between the two. Both were passionately fond of Nature. They loved the fields, the woods and the waters and man

e down the road that lay at the foot of the hill upon wh

ing's attention. The teacher saw them they thought; she appeared to be waving her ha

scattering a lapful of daisies about her as she ran, then fled down the hill in a series of leaps, her

, come back!"

scoffed Margery. "He

ast was her gait that she appeared to have lost control of herself. Her little white-shod feet were

sappeared from view as she sprawled face downward wit

urt," cried H

calmly. "You don't know Tommy if you think a little t

he foot of the hill without further mishap, hesitated a second or so at the fence, and then vaulted over it. For

was la

o that, Buster,

stretching out comfortably with her hands su

ed a little

ery! Look!

antly, raising herself on one elbow, gazing listlessly down int

cars are orange colored. Aren't they pret

d up her nose

r," she answered, lying back in the shade of the maple tree, be

ething else, something that set her nerves all a tingle. A huge cloud of dust was rolling down the highway near the railroad tracks. That this cloud was not caused by the train was plain to the watching girl. Soon she was able to make out the outlines of an automobile in the cloud of dust. The train was

nly left Hazel

ck! Look!"

bing up and down," return

look!

, dear. You do not have

ere's going to

ter was on her

going to hit t

ly to have left her. They had forgotten all about Grace Thompson in the greater interest of the moment. Margery shivered

d. "There'll surel

bile? The wind is blowing it up ahead and the machine is kicking it up behind. Hoo-oo! Hoo-oo!" cried the girl, frantically wavi

car appeared to be putting on more. The car was rap

gery, throwing herself on the groun

. She scarcely breathed. He

-p-pened?" fa

river is going to

of dust, then out of the cloud darted the locomotive on one side. On the other dashed the

red a litt

ground pale and trembling. Margery

he ki

N

't you scare me to d

Oh,

rgery firmly. "Go craz

s To

ed up in a

up at the girls waving one hand to the

oman!" ga

rgery. "No wonder she nearl

antically, waving both arms above her head, seeking to attrac

bile approaching from the rear. A knoll and a bend in the road hid the driver of the car and the little white figure from each other. The noise of the train

rstand the meaning of it, decided it to be some sort of greeting. The little girl waved her arms in reply. Miss Eltin

ace turned toward the oncoming car that was rapidly approaching her enveloped in a blinding cloud of dust

mmy were swallowed u

lled!" screa

Hazel, wringing her ha

igure. She appeared to have been doubled up into

tch. The motor car lurched around the curve in the road, zig-zag