The Outdoor Girls at the Hostess House; Or, Doing Their Best for the Soldiers

you've be

ie, turning so the light w

and nose all red for the

ollie. "Probably just

rty. Since then the days had been given largely to the routine work of the Hostess House-afternoon teas, evening coffee served to those who wished it, writing letters for the boys, entertaining other

Betty, breaking in upon her two friends merrily. Then, seeing that she had interr

cried anxiously, "w

bly. "Seems to me that's all I hear from morning to night. 'Oh, Molli

freezing quality in her voice. "I thought I migh

her and, repentant, thrown her ar

rrid, and I know I don't deserve a friend like you. But-

patted her shoul

th a return of her old cheeriness, "Now, prove your repen

e replied, her face clouding again. "O

who had entered the room in time t

and Betty sent Gra

tty hurriedly interposed. "Because, you see," sh

hree at once, and crow

er about grammar. Betty quarreled so seldom with anyb

has 'fessed up," evaded Betty, seem

cried Grace delightedly, while M

e retorted glumly. "Maybe it wouldn't seem

do you know

ee girl

" demanded Betty weakly.

th exaggerated distinctness, "that Roy and I have had a quarr

ied in chorus, "

d to the mirror and be

flung at them o

er dumbly, struggling with a wild desir

ing dazedly when once mor

pose we begin at the beginning and tell our experiences, since we're

r and seated herself expect

s first?" s

yes glittering. "It was all so utterly absurd,

mpatiently, but once more Bet

n-" she

en all of a sudden I happened to think of the b

d and leaned forward e

they br

. He just sort of froze up and wouldn't answer my questions or anything until I got so angry I told him that if

athed the

id he say?"

was. And then he said"-she laughed a little hysterically-"that he just couldn't stand the thought of my see

lly placid Grace seemed hardly able to keep her

Grace dazedly. "Girl

dryly, "that one or all of us a

way that Sergeant Mullins hung around the Hostess House all the time. He ma

grammar suffering from excitement. "Goodness!

maybe," cried Mollie hysterically.

lly, "it's because Sergeant Mul

oes come around a goo

l tried to be nice to him. I think it's horrid," she added, flaring up, "for the boys to

g a tear-this time of merriment-from her

here are dozens of boys who come here to tell us

ust remember," she added with a twinkle, "

ther," added Mollie, with a chuckle. "

the only one left out. Nobody thinks it's w

d, and Grace add

at you didn't meet Will this morning and tell him the awful news,

t anyway," suggest

ty. "What kind-a flowe

explained Mollie patiently,

llie, if there is anything in signs you ought to be a great author

I hope so,"

glancing at the clock. "We'll have to dress pretty soon, to go down to

the boys had met some girls in town they liked better than the

s the boys have been following us around like Mary's

th a chuckle, "the girls I've seen around the town

we still got Sergeant M

added, as they started to

special bayonet drill to-morrow-especially when we've been longi

y carelessly. "But it really doesn