The Outdoor Girls at Wild Rose Lodge

onit

e Captain, they had felt almost sure of the identity of the two Dempsey boys who had

o anything at all. Vaguely they felt the need of comforting the queer little professor in

with fun, seemed dull and uninteresting and they found their thoughts revertin

incident on the river as had been arranged, and Betty had c

had expected only one, would be overwhelmed with number

in particular--but it is probable that if he had been able to meet them one at a time, he might have come off v

ad said when she had recovered a little from her mirth.

't he too funny in that checked suit and awful green necktie? Poor o

her splendid, upstanding Allen, and poor Per

fessor Dempsey, but the picture of him haunted their minds so continually day and

t course of action it would be best to take. "I have a queer feeling that the poor professor is in desperate need

'?" asked Grace, hesitating a little. "He

back some time when we could stay long enough for him to tell us some

lls us--why, all right, but if he doesn't, of course we won't try to force a confidence. Anyway," she finished sobe

l," spoke tip Amy softly. "He re

t on coats and hats and get ready for the drive, Mollie ran aroun

Dodo and Paul from running under the wheels of the car and getting ki

surprised to see that Betty was backing

she would have to some loved horse or dog. She scrubbed it and sco

ut the sound of the engine, had backed the small car down the drive and almost into Molli

ack at her. "You were so small and insi

he shut off the engine and got out of the car. "What's the idea of your

laughed back impishly, still in

rowing insults at each other's car but t

had been when Mollie had taken Betty's "dare" to a race and Betty's little roadster had won the day, racing l

must be admitted she had been considerably disappointed and taken aback by her

of the Little Captain as she still leaned over th

cried. "I thought you were the one who was in a hurr

informed her briskly. "Gues

t," said Mollie, resolutely climbing back into her car. "It is ten o

t if the car gives out before we ge

ical chuckle as her machine moved off down the street, "to have everyo

her touch, "they will have a great deal better chance of seeing me in t

soon flying swiftly down the road in the direct

ey were really on the way to doing something, though they

destination, a strange depression that they could n

in the roadster, sighed rather dolefully and Be

way too, Grade?"

ace uncertainly. "Th

l and that is exactly the way I feel. What's the

Grace after a little pause. "We aren't going, so f

y, with a shake of her head. "I feel as if we w

eyes wide, "you don't suppose that the professor

g before the ugly word. "Oh, Grace

hard not to look as f

hands that somehow seemed suddenly weak. "If I thought anythi

Grace, irresolutely. "Don't you think we had better go b

Betty, striving to throttle her own misgivings, s

he said. "And probably we are worrying a great deal about nothing.

. But instead of lightening, the cloud of depression became deeper and more forebod