The Outdoor Girls in Florida; Or, Wintering in the Sunny South

y an emergency the "Little Captain" did not know quite what

I say? What

at one another. Grace still held the t

her senses in

ace. You must keep it from her. In the second place your father must be told at

with a wailing tone in her voice. "I'd be sure to act so strang

ything to keep Grace from feeling bad, and giving away the secret. As soon as Mr. Ford comes he can decide whether or n

wish he were her

at has happened. Mr. Ford will know what to do when he comes. Now, Mollie, let's hurry. Gracious! I believe it's go

go now-if Will

d Betty, with more confidence tha

, and afterward they hardly remembered what they did. But Grace did not betray the secret, at any rate. The two girls tal

lie down until dinner was ready, and Grace, wi

naturally now. Poor little moth

y be all right. Even if he has gone off with a labor contractor, who has a bad reputatio

ook on the bright side, Amy

as soon as Bet

to Mr. Ford's office. They found him working over a complica

at has happened?"

u to the house-Grace opened i

to comprehend

cally labor contractors will do anything to get help. I

o keep it from her

this. Then I'll leave for Jacksonville

girls, calling a carriage for them and hi

s of the new emergency to his wife without unduly arousin

have to go?" his wi

a fine business deal. I don't want him to get into-legal difficulties. It would not loo

midnight train. In the meanwhile he communicated with the telegraph authorities i

ing friends with the landlady, and finally had gone off with a man who bore a shady reputation in the city. Will had said he was going farther into

back," said Mr. Ford. "And look after your mot

om Mr. Ford, saying that he was doing all he could to find Will. Mrs. Ford

urth day there came a message saying Mr. Ford was on his way back. "He hasn'

nd hard to do. But try. Even if your father hasn't found Will, perhaps h

. Oh, aren't b

to cause all this tr

he has, jus

erable even to th

ed when he came home, and hi

nded by her three chums, "I didn't find

sked his

r them. He supposed it was clerical or secretary's work, but it turns out that he was deceived. What he signed was a

ocate him, Dadd

camps. I could get very little satisfaction fro

ven if he did sign a contract to work, especi

, as you know, is nine points of the law, and part of the tenth. Where Will is I don't know. J

you find him?

That is why I came back. Uncle Isaac is in New York City now. I am going to telegraph him to come on here and I'll

d her. Then Uncle Isaac came, and to his credit be it said that he was kinder t

nephew, and left for the South as

is all off," said Grace

ant you girls to go. It may be that

sister cried. "Oh! I do

on. Meanwhile nothing was heard from the mi

me word from the boy himself-indi

in a cotton field near a railroad track. It had probably been tossed from a train window, and had laid some time in

escape, but it's no use. I appealed for help to the crowd, as did some of the others, but the contractors declared we were a lot of criminals farmed out by the State. And, as a lot of their workers really are convicts, I had no s

il