The Camp Fire Girls Solve a Mystery; Or, The Christmas Adventure at Carver House

rs. "I suppose I do look pretty wild," she reflected, "but I didn't suppose my appearance was enough to make a

song that floated through the transom had such a gay swing, such an irresistible lilt, that it set her head awhirl and her blood racing madly through her veins in a wild May dance. It was as th

e lark at heave

ebus 'g

o water at t

ed flower

ng Mary b

heir gol

hing that p

sweet

Katherine came back to hers

rry voice from behind the door. There w

and opened the door. Only

e you?" s

room came a sudden e

ch had bidden her enter. "You are n

ad received. She stood still inside the door trying to locate her mysterious hoste

the wrong hill and and now I'm so mixed up I don't know where to go. I heard you singing and came in to ask if you could tell me where the other hill is. I knocked befor

o you not know where you have come?" it continued, in a tone which indicated there was a de

shed to say another word. She did not kno

sked politely, remembering that the other had mentio

!" commanded the

p forward uncertainl

eside you!" con

nd looked around the room curiously. She could not see the owner of the voice at first. The room was large and shadowy and contained very little furniture. A bare pine table on which the lamp stood; a couple of kitchen chairs; a c

and come here,

ed of vari-colored piecework, and from whose peak there issued, like an eruption of golden lava, a tangle of bright yellow curls which framed about a pair of big, shining eyes. The eyes were set in a face, of course-they had to be-but the face was so white and emaciated as to be entirely inconspicuous, so

ued. You will pardon the informality of our life here," she continued, her brown eyes traveling around the room and resting somewhat regretfully on the shabby furnishings. "We take up o

Grace the Marchioness? What was this strange child talking about?

," setting up a volcanic disturbance inside the patchwork mountain by turning herself inside of it, and she poi

was Nyoda's house that this queer child meant by th

wn hastily, and there was the girl on

had anybody from outside to play it with before. I get tired playing it alone so much, and Aunt Aggie is mostly always too busy to play it with me. Besides," she said with a regretful sigh, "she has no imagination,

ss as she had been at her strange manner of speech in the beginning

n to explain, talking as

able to walk, it's so hard to fin

that while the slender arms had been waving incessantly in animated gestures as

following a horse down the middle of the street trying to figure out which leg came

herine with a sh

palace with my indulgent father, the king, and had a grand court and a great train of attendants-all dukes and duchesses and counts and th

Crown Prince, in to tea!' Then Aunt Aggie always forgets and says, 'Let's see, which one is the Crown Prince, now?' It's ve

l name, Princess

l. "Only the princess part is m

became conscious for the first time that there was no heat in the room. In the first contrast to the biting wind outside the place ha

as a fierce blast rattled the panes in the bay windows. Katherine felt hot w

in-waiting?" she ask

ent at six o'clock this morning and she was going to ba

uddenly and held her

er childhood on the farm. Beside it in a box were several lumps of coal and some kindling. She stripped off her gloves and set to work buildin

things are I'll prepare your Maj

I'm not hungry,"

herine wonderingly. "Or have you had something

eplied

aid Katherine decidedly, "and

must be kept. The cupboard had leaded glass doors, she noticed, and the framework was of mahogany to mat

eat," said Sylvia again, in a tone w

hand on the cut glass knob of the cupboard

were there any supplies. Then Katherine understood. Her intuition was slow, but finally it came to her why Sylvia did not want to admit that she was hungry. There was nothing to eat i

rder," she remarked, valiantly struggling to maintain her royal dign

iling cry of "Aunt Aggie!" she put her head down on the arm of the chair and

f the brave little spirit, shut up alone here in the dark and cold, hungry and anxious, singing like a lark to keep down her lonelin

," she said, cuddling

nt hand. "How dare you cry, and you a princess?" she said aloud to herself scornfully, with a flash of

id to Katherine, with a return of her ro

e to live, so Aunt Aggie got permission from the town to come and live in here until we could find a place. Nobody seems to own this house, that is, nobody knows who owns it, it's been empty so long. Aunt Aggie sold all her furniture to pay her debts except her sewing machine and the few things we have here. Aunt Aggie makes shirts, but her eyes gave out this week and she couldn't do anything, so there wasn't any pay. Aunt Aggie got credit for a while at the

e wondered if the shops were still open so that she could

ill she comes. Oh, why doesn't she come? I know something's happened to her. She'

face worked pitifully. "Aunt Aggie! A

lay her in the rush of holiday travel. Sylvia looked reassured after a bit and Katherine was just on the p

" said Sylvia with a

ed. Instead of the sound of the front door ope

"she never knocks. There

oor. A man stood outside. "Does Mrs.

said Ka

ne admitted him. "The girl, is she here?" he asked. Katheri

ed me from such a hospital in the city. She was run over by a taxicab and her collarbone broke an

rled his hat around in his

g at him with a curiously intent gaze, as though trying to

ess of emotion she suddenly remembered Nyoda's name. Sheridan. Sheridan. Mrs. And

e of me?" cried Sylvia

small rooms over his shop, and what to do with this lame girl who knew not a soul in town was too much of a problem for him. To his evident relief Katherine came to the rescue. "I will take care of her,

sat down beside her little princess and endeavored to soothe her distress of mind regarding her aunt. Fina

oke the echoes in front of the house. Sylvia half-awakene

and flung herself upon a fur-coated figure th

yo

in the world ar

ined briefly ho

oor Katherine, to come all alone and then not find anybody to meet you! I'm so sorry! But it wouldn't be you, Katherine," she

es, at the end of which Nyoda nodded emph

the sleeping princess. "What is it, m

o wrap the quilt around her, "make ready for your