The Outdoor Girls in a Winter Camp / Or, Glorious Days on Skates and Ice Boats
gized Mr. Blackford, when he and Will called at
"Come in. We are planning a
uliarly involved in the five hundred dollar bill mystery. "You Out
mp!" they cr
sung Will, mockingly, as he
l proceeded to contort himself in various
coming in on you this way. I happened to have some business in town, and as I received a curious bit of news I thought you
ed me out so in the matter of that five hundred dollars, I have felt as though you did really take an interest in me, as
f Mr. Blackford having a sister of whom he had lost track. At one time he hoped it might develop that she was the strange girl who fell out o
ecialty of locating missing persons to look for
ations, as I call them, looking for clues," he went on. "They are getting all the old documents, bits of family history, descriptions, and so on, that they can la
ld 'make' this town to-night, I had all my mail sent here. Imagine my surprise
?" asked Be
d the young man, "and that is why I call
ed dad where, as the maid said you'd all been in the
She seemed to have forgotten
d, "I feared it was a sort o
asn't at all," i
proceeded the yo
clue?" asked Gr
took some papers from his poc
clue," pu
cau
off in th
u?" demanded Grace, impatiently. "We
the other day, wrote me that they were on the track of my sister.
attic of a house where some distant relatives live. They
me-stained and yellow papers,
er must be quite elderly to have s
in knowledge of that. Anyhow, this is part of a letter written about the girl whom
e--" beg
p still?" begg
tandy?" and he im
ed him a caramel. "Now, let's h
hich says this," went on Mr. Bla
e girl because she has a mos
sed re
requested Betty. "This
declared Mollie. "Go on, please, Mr. Blackford,
le," he remarked, ruef
Betty wan
-the letter is torn. A corner is gone. I have no more idea of what sort of identifying mark my sister
my sister; but how can I identify her, in case I meet her,
declared Will
even-that firm I spoke of-they even had located the part of the country w
say she might
ather vague. If only that piece was
Mollie. "Maybe in forwarding it the p
ot this letter, asking where the missing piece was
ent Mr. Blackford held up. It showed a tear across one corner, a tear that d
," spoke Amy, s
ray and rebellious lock of hair, "it spoil
they got this document from, and go there. It may have been in some old
d Will. "You don't know what sort of a
g all the girls he meets if they have p
I told you my troubles,"
, pleasantly. "We are interested
as gone for good," added Amy. "But if we hea
to hear of anyone who would fit what description I have of my sister-and it isn't much, to tell the truth-or if you think you see anyon
m to," agr
me know," finish
e that should provide for such a vital piece of the letter being missing. Then, afte
ure if you can go to the lumber camp; will you, Be
orning," promised Betty. "I'm pretty s
there?" asked
asked her father many questions ab
e boating?" i
father said, but not far away a man has a sort of winter
run it?" aske
and the wind blows it along. All yo
thority," declared Mollie. "Oh, b
times," put in Will. "That i
that the telephone ringing, Grace?"
said Amy. "Maybe they wan
of 'em-all taken
ed Amy, coming back. "It's your moth
Mollie's vo
crying!" and Amy's voice faltered
others listened anxiously for an i
must have gone out right after I did!
the receiver fall with a bang, "little Paul is missing-