The Outdoor Girls in a Winter Camp | Page 4

did not want to look on pleasure now, for her heart ached from the
bitter words she had overheard--words, she realized, that might be but
too true.

Blindly she skated on, not heeding, and scarcely caring where she went.
Her only desire was to get away where she could be by herself, to think
it out--to try and devise a way of setting at rest all the rumors about her.
For the rumors had grown apace of late, and from a source she could
not determine. It might be that what she had just heard was a clue.
Amy had thought of appealing to Mr. and Mrs. Stonington, with whom
she lived, and who, for many years she had regarded as father and
mother. Then, a few months back, she had learned that they were but
uncle and aunt. Now it seemed that she was to lose even this
relationship. It was a bitter blow, especially to one so young in years.
To briefly mention the mystery of Amy, I might say that she was
picked up when an infant, afloat on a raft in a flood in a western city.
Pinned to her baby dress was an envelope containing the name of Mr.
Stonington of Deepdale. He had been telegraphed for, and took charge
of the infant.
It was supposed that the mother of the baby was a distant relative of
Mrs. Stonington, for the latter had a cousin who resided in the western
city. It was believed that, finding herself about to perish, the mother did
what she could to insure the salvation of her child, and pinned a note to
her dress so that relatives would look after her if the baby was saved.
But only the envelope was found, together with an old and torn diary
that gave no tangible clue.
And this was the mystery of Amy's life. As I have said, after living for
years in the belief that Mr. and Mrs. Stonington were her parents, they
had told her the truth. Now it seemed that there was to be another
change.
"Oh, but why must it be so?" mourned poor Amy. "Why can't I be like
other girls?"
The tears rushed to her eyes. She could not see, and she skated rapidly
on, only wanting to get away.

She heard the ringing of steel runners behind her, but would not turn.
Then a voice--a boy's voice--called:
"Look out! Look out where you're going, Amy! The ice is thin up there,
and you're going right toward an air-hole! There's danger! Look out!"
If Amy heard she gave no sign nor heed. On she skated, and then the
voice behind her called in startled tones:
"What do you mean? Amy, turn! Turn back before it is too late! You'll
be drowned!"
The skater behind fairly rushed forward, for he had seen what the
tear-blinded girl had not--black water showing through a hole in the ice.
And Amy was headed directly for this opening.
CHAPTER II
A FINE CHANCE
"That Alice Jallow is certainly the meanest girl in Deepdale!" declared
Mollie, with vehemence.
"And Kittie isn't much better," added Grace, with spirit. "I don't see
how Margaret can go with them."
"She's a newcomer here, that's the reason," said Betty--bouncing Betty
she was now, for she was whirling about and "teetering" on her skates
in a dizzying fashion. "When she gets to know those girls she won't
have any more to do with them than--we do."
"And there was a time, even after they made those first slurring
remarks about Amy, that they seemed real nice," spoke Grace.
"It was too good to last," asserted Mollie. "Oh--the cat!"
Mollie shot out the word as though she would like to exercise some of
the proclivities of a feline herself, and scratch.

"What possessed her to stop where she did, and talk loud enough for
Amy to hear?" asked Grace.
"It's hard to tell," decided Betty with a sigh. "Shall we go after her?"
and she nodded in the direction taken by Amy, who could not now be
seen because of the intervening crowds.
"No; best let her cry it out, poor child," said Mollie, softly. "She was
crying when she skated away."
"Well, if we can find the boys we'll just mildly hint that those
chocolates are about due," observed Grace, and she and the others
looked about for Will and his chums, little dreaming of the danger
which, at that moment, menaced poor Amy.
Those of you who have read the previous books of this series need no
special introduction to my heroines. Others may care for just a brief one.
The initial volume, entitled "The Outdoor Girls of Deepdale; Or,
Camping and Tramping for Fun and Health," told how Betty, Mollie,
Grace and Amy decided to go on