The Carter Girls' Week-End Camp

ucy, who had set the tables with the assistance of her chum, Lil Tate, and the two sworn knights, Skeeter Halsey and Frank Maury, and had carefully coun

it the places,

we'll have to accordeon-

ts don't land in your

at there's Brunswick stew made out of the squirrels we got

mountain. Where do you reck

roost in

them didn't bring their

," said Skeeter, forgetting that he too had been

y brought some new delightful duty that was never called a duty and so was looked upon by all of them as a great game. Theirs was the task of foraging for

d at their camp. Eggs were always needed. Little wild-eyed, tangled-haired children would come creeping from the bushes, like so many timid rabbits, bringing their wares; sometimes a bucket of dewberries or some wild plums; sometimes

umbled old Oscar. "They's got no notion of quitt

s Douglas an' Miss Helen done said we mus'

for white folks was good enough for them. Their young mistresses were contented with the life in the camp, so they were, too. Their young mistresses were not above doing any work that came to hand, so they, too, must be willing to do what fell to their lot. Susan forgot the vows she had so solemnly sworn when she became a member of the housemaids' league, to do housework and nothing els

nger and spending two weeks with them. That meant no cessation of fillin' 'em up. Previous to this time, Monday had been a bless

maid for Mrs. Carter. She unpacked boxes and parcels, hovering over the pretty things purchased in New York; she fetched and carried for that dainty lady, ignoring

ng she always attended to herself. Gwen was making batter bread after having put to rise pan after pan of rolls. Oscar had begun to fry the app

e last huge bowl of salad and stepping back to admire her h

not quite being candied. "They's nothin' like tater salid fer contitutioning a foumdation stone on which to build fillin' victuals. It

this extra dishful to be kept back so

ed on to expect no favors at yo' han'. To be foun' by the wa

he is help

'low she helpin' yo' maw with one h

Could this be his Helen, the queen of the kitchen, attending to the preparation of this great quantity of food? He never remembered before seeing Helen do any more strenuous work than play a corking good game of tennis, and here she was handli

from the hurry of getting things done without the assistance of the capable Susan. Robert Carter looked in amazem

t is all this food for

week-enders swarmin

they couldn't

a trip. She, Helen Carter, only eighteen, could do all of this! She had no idea what the profits amounted to, but Nan and Douglas had only the week before congratulated themselves that they were putting more money in the bank than they were drawing out. She cared nothing for money in the bank except as a means of gratifying the ones she loved.

irl, at least that was what one might gather from his expression as he stood by th

other girls?" a

mayonnaise enough to run us over Sunday, and now she has gone with Douglas to receive the week-enders and show them their tents and cots. Douglas is the great chief-she does all the buying and supervising, looks after the comfort of the week-enders and sees that ever

d the wallet in the scrub oak tree containing all of the dead Englishman's papers, of old Abner Dean's perfidy in taking the land from Gwen when the receipt had not been found, although the child was sure he

r. Wright has told me of you and now I

er one more fried apple hug before she pushed him out of the kitc

ct bricks! To think of my little Helen forgetting the polish on her

cting the cabin with the pavilion. Robert Carter himself had character enough to go around, but when one considered that his character had been alloyed with hers to make this family it wa

used themselves with? The girl of the day is certainly an enterprising person. Of course a thing li

t missio

ociety, of course," l

her Robert and she was willing to have cut herself off from society for those months if by doing so she had contributed to the well-being of her husband. She had been all devotion and unselfishness in the first agony of his illness. The habits of her lifetime had been seemingly torn up by the roots and from being the spoiled and petted darling she had turned into the e

otedly. Nothing worried her very long and she had the philosophy of a young child, taking no thought of the yesterdays or of the morrows. Dr. Wright looked on her in amazement. Her speaking of the camp as an adventu

hould be to become useful members of society. He had a dread of appearing priggish, however, and then this was Helen's mother

ed Mrs. Carter, wondering in her well-bre

happy. Why, they are perfect wonders! Helen is in the kitchen, not eating bread and honey, bu

l them! I can't contemplate it. Who are a

e the bo

! I thought they ha

ular. I did not know they had it in them. I believe it was a good thing I went off my hoo

e so-so-successful at running a boardin

Carter Girls!' At least, that is w

lle until we got back or had her visit them in Richmond. I don't at all approve of their renting my house. Douglas is so coarsened by this living out-of-doors. She has the compl

Common sense had not been what made him fall in love with her twenty years before, so the lack of it did not detract in any way from his admira

least, cannot be busy wi

ar. You will find many acquaintances among them. Jeffry Tucker came with his two girls, the twins, and a friend of theirs from Milton, Page Allison is her name. There are several o

prietor of the shop had been most pleased to have her open an account with him, the price of the gown was no concern of hers. It set off her pearly skin and dusky hair to perfection. She was glad Jeffry Tucker was at the camp. He was a general favorite in

g pavilion as the week-enders swarmed up the steps, attracted hither by th