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

heir spirits soaring happily as they ran down the ste

e boys to their attending the bayonet drill lent spice to

, was, as the girls had said, a tall, splendidly built fellow,

m the Hostess House, and had made overtures in a half-shy, half-h

ho had come and gone and whose meetings and partings with dear ones

and had been attached to Camp Liberty for the purp

Mullins, like all the rest of our brave boys, had dreamed of the great things he wou

n for the many little kindnesses they had done hi

whether, even if they had known, it would have made any difference, for they had long desired just this thin

"I'm afraid we stopped to talk too long to those women who

spare," returned Amy, and

arkling, "if we could only meet the boys? I'd

n the drill," drawl

o injury," Betty chuckled. "Th

er pocket and bringing forth a luscious bonbon which Mollie eyed

rumbled Mollie, still hungrily eyeing the rapidly disapp

ket. "I didn't know you were such a shy and shrinking little viole

ket," Mollie retorted ungraciously.

ed her p

demanded, "lugging a candy b

lar," Betty broke in, with a chuckle. "You'

y?" teased Amy. "He'd never

e scornfully. "I'd just like to have anybody try t

, Gracie," Mollie soothed her. "So

vidently in a belligerent mood. "I've

d," murmured Mol

en to reason?" queried Be

y-which was so ridiculous that even B

ne: "You see, we are just about to enter the sacred precincts of the drill gr

gnation. "I'll have you know, Miss Nelson, that I, for one,

ng breathlessly on her words. "I thought you were going to say

espairingly. "I've got about as much

ly, then, meeting Betty's outraged eye, added has

when Mollie, for the first time in h

e interrupted soothin

ourself," Gr

uld not yield, and ins

gged. "You know we've got a reputation,

stake," interp

her eyes twinkled. "Anyway, we've got to live up to it-Goodness! j

be an exhibition drill," agreed Mollie, all fun temporarily swal

ins is considered a very important

down upon a convenient bench. "They'v

ss, eyes and attention glued upon the magnificent spectacle of a thousand men,

moment a curtain had been lifted and they were permitted to see something of the glory,

to the present almost with a shock; so gr

lker," were Mollie's first words as they rose t

ing. "Just think what it must be to be a man in th

"That part of it's all right. But when it comes to be

lapping her hands to her ears, w

e into consideration the possibility of all that you said, Amy. But t

in applause, and they turned to fin

eyeing them hostilely. "We thought you w

led," finished Betty pr

with mingled fear and admiration. "Well, I'll have you know, young lady, that you can't

ted the liberty with an

s whispering into Betty's

out its being glorious to give yourse

she stammered, taken

the elusive little dimple at the corner of her m