Dorothy Dales Camping Days | Page 8

spent together at dear old
Glenwood. The girls had occupied room "nineteen" in spite of the fact
that their advance in class entitled them to other quarters, but each
loved the apartment, and they had "grown into it," as Tavia remarked.
"I believe I had better rescue my things," mused Dorothy, "for there is
no telling where the dragging may end," and, suiting her act to the
words, she promptly put a pile of cushions on the highest chair, and

began to take from her side of the room such trinkets as are
inconceivably dear to the heart of every schoolgirl.
How differently her division of the room was decorated! Tavia had
actually drawn a line--clothes line--straight across the room, marking
out the territory of each. Dorothy had put up pictures, birds' nests, flags
and the home colors, while Tavia had revelled in collapsed footballs,
moth-eaten slouch hats, shot through and through, and marked with all
sorts of labels, of the college lad variety. Then she had a broken bicycle
wheel, in and out of which were laced her hair ribbons and neckties,
this contrivance being resorted to in order to save the junk from the
regulation pile--it being thus marked as a useful article. There were
pictures, too, on Tavia's side of the room, but how they got there one
could never guess from a birds-eye view--for the hanging indicated a
sudden storm on "art day," without paper-weights. This same blow
included the mottoes, and wise sayings; trophies of certain victories in
the way of narrow escapes from dismissals, or such mementos as
suspicious games outside the school grounds.
"No wonder Tavia wants help," thought Dorothy, as she hurried to get
her own things safely put in the box that stood ready. "I declare, she has
the queerest taste--if such things are included in the taste faculty."
A shuffle and hum at the portal indicated the arrival of Tavia's guests.
"Enter!" called Tavia, as she threw open the door, "and with the kind
permission of the fair hostess, proceed to drag. 'Drag if you must this
good old bed, but spare my sister's rags, she said,'" and she deliberately
kicked Dorothy's box across the room, while Edna, or Ned, proceeded
to "shoot up" everything she could reach or at which she could lunge.
Cologne, being Dorothy's friend, did the same thing on Tavia's side,
Molly Richards, known as Dick, was not particular on which side she
dragged, just so long as she got a hold on something.
"Oh, girls, do be careful!" pleaded Dorothy. "I have a tea set here I am
so fond of--"
But the warning came too late, for at that very moment Ned had thrown

a picture, frame and all, into the box that Dorothy had started to pack
the tea set in. There was a crash, and even the reckless girls paused, for
the sound of broken china is as abhorrent to any girl as is the bell for
class to the Glenwoods.
Tavia dropped the pop gun she had been holding. "Doro, I am so
sorry," she said. "I know you valued that set so highly. Take mine for
it."
"Oh, no, indeed," replied Dorothy, her voice strained, for the set had
been a gift from her little brother Roger, and he had used the first
money he ever earned to buy it. "Perhaps I can have it mended."
Cologne, Edna, and Tavia put their heads together. Presently they
apologized to Dorothy and left the room.
"Wonder what's up now?" Dorothy asked herself. She did feel
badly--that tea set of all the things in her room!
She recalled how Roger had written that he had a surprise for her; then
the arrival of the blue cups and saucers, and the note saying that the boy
had sold lemonade, and thus earned his first money. Then, that he had
spent the money for that set. And to think that it was ruined, for the
crash told the woeful story of many pieces!
Dorothy did not feel like finishing her packing. She felt more like
having a good cry. She was thinking of home, of her father, the major,
then of her brother Joe, older than Roger, and lastly of dear, impetuous
Roger himself.
Soon she would be home to them again! Was she not their mother ever
since she could remember? For her own darling mother had been called
away from her little ones so early in a promising life!
Sounds of voices in the hall roused her from her reverie.
Tavia entered first. But her following! Girl after girl crowded into the
small room, until its very capacity was taxed beyond its possibilities.

"We've come!" announced Cologne.
"So I see," replied Dorothy, all confusion.
"To make amends for our damage," continued Cologne. "Every girl on
the