The Outdoor Girls in a Winter Camp / Or, Glorious Days on Skates and Ice Boats

a fur neck-piece, and plunging her gloved hands deeper into the

s aglow. "Skate about, and you'll soon be

t to the bend!" and Mollie, her dark eyes dancing under the spell of the day

ted the tall, slim girl who ha

have a short, sharp one, and then you'll feel s

uum bottle of hot chocolate, as I in

ply. Of late she had had less and less patience with

adn't come skating," and Grace permitted as much of a frown to gather on her pretty face as she ever i

That will-make us all feel better," for the Little Captain, as she was often called, saw

et, but of late her chums had noted that she was more than usually so. And they guessed, rightly, that it

ed. Amy was always willing to oblige, and she d

tment passed over the countenance

d get out of it!" cried vivacious Mollie. "That

I must," and Grace gave in "gracefully." "I'm nearly perished

ou and Grace in the other, Mollie. Whichever member of the team gets to the bend first will win. You see," Betty explaine

Grace said this with such a doleful sigh that th

Let's show that we are worthy o

sked Grace lo

and Frank Haley are with him," spoke Betty, shading her eyes with her han

evously, referring to a certain foppish lad, who se

ng more than before-for, be it known, she did not reciprocate the feeling that

," murmured Mollie. "That is,

d Betty rather sharply, but she tur

went on such a long walk down the road, I thought

and then the approach of three young men on their r

e willowy Grace, "what's doing?" Will was just the o

haps to forestall any resumption of the embarrassing

len, a rising young la

lained Mollie. "You may be judges, or starte

uggested Frank, who w

ck to town," said Betty quick

"I don't care how much fun you mak

he little twin brother and sister of Mollie, whose pench

oing to race, let's do it. Boys, you see fai

Amy. "I can't do as muc

d Betty, indicating a spot where the

chilly, and the exercise will be good for us. Get r

ng a paper bag. "It had chocolates in,"

she

t crumbs," and he proceeded to empty them into his mouth,

glided off on their skates. Mollie and Betty, the two best skaters, rather hung back, let

called Will, as he saw that t

Betty, narrowly watch

red Frank with a laugh. "Yo

nest, for Amy, at a nod from the Little Captain did likewise, and then Mollie and Betty, holding

d Will. "A pound of cho

bend Amy showed signs of fatigue.

take i

Grace, gliding to one side, allo

off!" cried

remarked Grace, a rosy glow replacin

hs rushed up to see the finish of the race. It was close, b

ith fine spirit. "You earned it, Betty dear, but I t

left skate was loose," said Betty. "

sn't going to say anything about it. You won fairly Betty,

Come on back to the village whenever you like, and order what you wish

o, with Amy, had come up now. "Besi

t chocolate, sister mine!" c

begged. "You hurt

he got back out of the way in time to

e a number of others on the ice now, and soon

Rossmore," murmured Mollie. "I ho

since that last little trouble they haven

n, an acquaintance of theirs joining them, they stopped to chat with the latter. Mollie's skate again becoming loosened, she halted to adjust

erself as many airs as if she wa

ted Margaret, won

uncle and aunt as she says, why, I heard the other day that there is doubt of that even. She and her

was something about a

but I, for one don't believe it. She's

my, skated off. Perhaps Alice had not meant that she should be overheard, but such was the case. She

did the other girls. Mollie seemed to have a notion of rushing over

etty made as though to skate after her, intending to offe

," she whispered. "Sometimes that is the best way t

eed with Moll

river where there were no merry-makers. She did not want to look on pleasure now, for her hear

d be by herself, to think it out-to try and devise a way of setting at rest all the rumors about her. For the rumors h

egarded as father and mother. Then, a few months back, she had learned that they were but uncle and aunt. Now i

on a raft in a flood in a western city. Pinned to her baby dress was an envelope containing the

sided in the western city. It was believed that, finding herself about to perish, the mother did what she could to insure

together with an old and torn d

years in the belief that Mr. and Mrs. Stonington were her parents, they h

" mourned poor Amy. "Why ca

could not see, and she skated ra

ers behind her, but would not turn.

he ice is thin up there, and you're going righ

ed. On she skated, and then the voic

n! Turn back before it is t

the tear-blinded girl had not-black water showing through a