The Merriweather Girls in Quest of Treasure

rested The Merriweather Girls at the mom

And Enid stepping from the train at that instant, stood and sta

hands outstretched. "Why, you've grown! You're almos

bright and the huskiness was gone from his voice. Health had come to him in this dry climate. Tommy looked as if he belonged there.

s and everybody was talking at once. It took s

ease. Kit's mother was a born nurse and one glance at the sick woman made her realize that she was needed. She helped to get the i

it as she watched her mother. "I knew I wou

Patten, who had hidden behind the station, dashed

ou haven't changed a s

ever," declared his si

ever been away from home, for the brother and sister had started again just wh

old," would have described his a

suddenly at the same time frownin

stick. What about it?

Arizona. Isn't it wonderful! You just tap i

ut the Judge smiled tolerantly an

t gently on the ground. A strange, buzzing started, continued for

rought it down with a thud on the ground. A wasp flew from the hole with an angry buz

too much of a sport to make a fuss, especially as the

contritely. "I didn't know there was a wasp inside that

come so quickly to her young brother who delight

ly been back for ten minutes and decided that it was too soon to plague the child. But B

commanded the Judge. "You girls go in that car

playfully called him. To himself Tommy promised that it would not be his own fault if he did not measure up to the Judge's estimate of what a right hand man should b

rls gave a cry of alarm as they saw a jack rabbit that had been startled, bound ahead of

ood?" Shirley sniffed the a

I used to get so lonesome just for a whiff of the

derstand. How could we?

ce was glowing

was a fury about the heat that the girls had never before experie

les, "let's stop and get the girls some of those cact

ung faces and brought his car to a stop. The girls jumped

und at their feet. It was a sound to hold the nerves

I were really home again. Where is it? I want a good look at

, and in that instant the girls saw a black and yellow skinned s

a menace i

neatly severed by a shot and the long

ook at the pretty p

ny beauty in a rattler. He's just plain pizen to everybody. There ought to be a

ruit gingerly in her fingers, trying to open it without getting the tiny pronged spikes in their fingers. The dr

, for Judge Breckenridge was drivin

hills ahead of them, K

d," she exclaimed. "On

claims to sel

lake! Isn't it refreshing after so many miles of desert? I h

, then spoke to Shirley: "How far aw

replied Be

ing somewhere that distances in the desert are very deceiving. It

we can eat our lunch at the

ith a sly glance at Kit. "We'll

!" cried Joy. "It's like an o

they had first seen it. A haziness now hung over the water, pa

y is unreal enough! Don't let us wait until we get there to eat lunch.

hen suddenly seemed to dissolve, leaving the deser

ne. The waving

mirage of the desert! That enticing promise of water tha

inutes. Stories of by gone days came into their minds, stories of weary travellers who had been bec

r the pioneers," said Bet wi

ers go out on the dese

have to do

adventure and they were seeing another sort of mirage

g through those early days herself, instead of being carried alo

the girls out of their day dre

s a man trudging along with

desert man," sa

tell from her

alk. That fellow looks as if he were used

ntemptuously. "Let's give him a lift and see w

the automobile, deposited his bundle on

olored shirt, were soiled, his face was streaked with dust but in his eyes there wa

sty," said t

ttle man with his far-away look as if he belonged to another

r!" whispered B

ntures would center around this shabby figure; adventures

their greeting and more eager to help him. Although none of the