The Outdoor Girls at Rainbow Lake

The Outdoor Girls at Rainbow
Lake
by Laura Lee Hope

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Title: The Outdoor Girls at Rainbow Lake

Author: Laura Lee Hope
Release Date: January, 2004 [EBook #4987] [Yes, we are more than
one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on April 7,
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The Outdoor Girls At Rainbow Lake
or
The Stirring Cruise of the Motor Boat Gem
by Laura Lee Hope, 1913
_________________________________________________________
_______
CHAPTER I
A GRAND SURPRISE
"Girls, I've got the grandest surprise for you!"
Betty Nelson crossed the velvety green lawn, and crowded into the
hammock, slung between two apple trees, which were laden with green
fruit. First she had motioned for Grace Ford to make room for her, and

then sank beside her chum with a sigh of relief.
"Oh, it was so warm walking over!" she breathed. "And I did come too
fast, I guess." She fanned herself with a filmy handkerchief.
"But the surprise?" Mollie Billette reminded Betty.
"I'm coming to it, my dear, but just let me get my breath. I didn't know
I hurried so. Swing, Grace."
With a daintily shod foot-- a foot slender and in keeping with her
figure-- Grace gave rather a languid push, and set the hammock to
swaying in wider arcs.
Amy Stonington, who had not joined in the talk since the somewhat
hurried arrival of Betty, strolled over to the hammock and began
peering about in it-- that is, in as much of it as the fluffy skirts of the
two occupants would allow to be seen.
"I don't see it," she said in gentle tones-- everything Amy did was
gentle, and her disposition was always spoken of as "sweet" by her
chums, though why such an inapt word is generally selected to describe
what might better be designated as "natural" is beyond comprehension.
"I don't see it," murmured Amy.
"What?" asked Grace, quickly.
"I guess she means that box of chocolates," murmured Mollie. "It's no
use, Amy, for Grace finished the last of them long before Betty blew in
on us-- or should I say drifted? Really, it's too warm to do more than
drift to-day."
"You finished the last of the candy yourself!" exclaimed Grace, with
spirit. If Grace had one failing, or a weakness, it was for chocolates.
"I did not!" snapped Mollie. Her own failing was an occasional burst of
temper. She had French blood in her veins-- and not of French lilac
shade, either, as Betty used to say. It was of no uncertain color-- was

Mollie's temper-- at times.
"Yes, you did!" insisted Grace. "Don't you remember? It was one with
a cherry inside, and we both wanted it, and---- "
"You got it!" declared Mollie. "If you say I took it---- "
"That's right, Grace, you did have it," said gentle Amy. "Don't you
recall, you held it in one hand behind your back and told Billy to
choose?" Billy was Mollie's "chummy" name.
"That's so," admitted Grace. "And Mollie didn't guess right. I beg your
pardon, Mollie. It's so warm, and the prickly heat bothers me so that I
can hardly think of anything but that I'm going in and get some talcum
powder. I've got some of the loveliest scent-- the Yamma-yamma
flower from Japan."
"It sounds nice," murmured Betty. "But, girls---- "
"Excuse me," murmured Grace, making a struggle to arise from the
hammock-- never a graceful feat for girl or woman.
"Don't! You'll spill me!" screamed Betty, clutching at the yielding sides
of the net. "Grace! There!"
There would have been a "spill" except that Amy caught the swaying
hammock and held it until Grace managed, more