The Campfire Girls of Roselawn

ER'S

ertake her. When she looked back she cried out again. Forked lightning blazed agains

umped right into the sagging door. It swung inward

oned. "Do-do yo

live. Not

aren't

rather dark kitchen. "Here's a table and some benches. You know

d Amy. "But always with a crowd. You know, h

e things she had brought up from 67 the lakeside, and now tur

rch. Jessie looked out. The clearing about the house had darkened speedily. A sheet

oor, Jessie,"

said again. "You can't

. But Jessie did not leave her post in the doorway. Something at the edge of the clearing-some rods awa

away, Jess Norwoo

e foolish. See that thing moving down there b

be it is a ghost

join Jessie at the doorway. Through the falling rain the ch

said Amy, af

Jessie, with conviction

hed Amy. "I never heard whether this ha

all," said her chum. "Yes, it is a chil

from Roselawn cried. "D

. She covered her face with her hands and sank down on the wet sod, while the rain beat upon he

owed the child piped, with

you the

d the crouching figure by the shoulder. "Do

ed from the freckled fac

ore. You are the nice gir

wet. Come up to the h

t there gho

said Jessie encouragingly. "Come

nly. "Mrs. Foley says ha'nts carry off

uickly. "You'll forget all about the sill

mind. She began to trot willingly by Jessie's side. But already the rain

is wood here and we can make a fire on the hearth. You can take off that skirt, Jess, and get it dry. And thi

the child's dress after lighting the fire that she had herself suggested. "Spooks" were evidently wip

arsely. "I'm just as dirty as I was th

is never going to forgive me for that.

her one," said the frec

uter garments to hang before the now

"why you think your c

eys looking for Bertha. She said she'd put Bertha where she

denly. "Do you suppose-Child! di

in't got a house,"

house in a big maroon a

Bertha was a silly to run away when nothing was going to hurt her. 71 Bu

. "Was she dark and thin

sked the chi

rtha," explained Jessie, qu

was big around, like a barrel. She was fat, and red, and ugly. I don't

y had both decided that the girl, Bertha, was the o

what Bertha was afra

ad writing-that she was coming to se

out her when you searched up and down t

," said the child gloomily. "Some of 'em sho

dergarment. She looked from her bony 72 little body

gry, honey?" sh

hungry? Mrs. Foley says I'm empty as a drum. She ca

you enough to eat?" deman

ids got to be fed first, ain't they? And when

id, with more composure than her chum could d

omewhere. The thunder scared me. Then I saw youse two up

me lunch," cri

ad brought and set the vacuum bottle of hot cocoa on the bench. There

Jessie, when the latter remonstrated. "I feel as if I was in the fam

Jessie's lunchbox. The freckle-faced girl began systematically to fill up the hollow with which she

under muttered almost continually, but in the d

e felt to the farther end of the big old kitchen. She and Henrietta were

storm broke," ruminated Jessie. "She th

rfully. "But I wish we had a radio sen

hat's

r a repetition of the sound. It came in a moment-a sudden thump-then the thrashing

Amy, jumping up

Jessie Norwood, and her f

te of sandwich; from behind that b

he Carter ha'

tta is

Priz