The Outdoor Girls in a Winter Camp | Page 6

how mean she is!"
Briefly, she told Will what had happened.
"That accounts for it," he said. "Poor Amy! No wonder she didn't look
where she was going. She might have been drowned."
"Don't say that!" cried Betty, sharply.
"Why not, when it's the truth?"
Betty gave the woman's reason.
"Because."
Frank and Allen came skating up.
"Come!" cried Grace, as joyfully as possible under the circumstances.
"The prizes--our chocolates, boys!"
"Of course!" added Allen. "But where is Amy?"
"She'll be along later--maybe," and Will winked at his chum as a signal
not to be too inquisitive. The young lawyer understood and nodded.
Soon the party of young people were in a drug store, partaking of hot
chocolates, and talking of the fun on the ice, while Grace spent some
time at the candy counter, selecting a new variety of chocolates.
That evening Betty and Mollie called on Grace.
"Let's go over and cheer Amy up," proposed Betty, who was always
thinking of some kindness.

"All right," agreed Grace. "Come into the library a moment. I'll get you
that book I promised, Betty. Oh, it's just splendid! You won't stop until
you finish it."
"Good!"
"Oh, Papa, I didn't know you were here!" exclaimed Grace, as, leading
her chums into the library, she discovered her father busy over a mass
of papers on the table.
"That's all right," he invited. "Come right in. It's only a little legal
tangle I'm trying to straighten out," for Mr. Ford was a well-known
lawyer.
"Anything we can help you with?" asked Betty, with a smile.
"I'm afraid not," he answered, laughing. "I've just been appointed
receiver of a bankrupt lumber camp up in the North Woods, and I've
got to arrange for some one to stay there during the winter to see that it
isn't disturbed. It comes just at the wrong time, too. I'm so busy I don't
know how I can spare the time to go up there and straighten things out.
Where are you going, Grace?"
"Over to see poor Amy Stonington. It's too bad! She heard something
more about her mystery to-day, Daddy, and she nearly skated into an
airhole--she was so upset. Isn't it horrid?"
"Yes, it is too bad about Amy," said Mr. Ford, for he knew the story, as
did many in Deepdale. "She ought to get out and away from the
influences around here. Stonington ought to take her away."
He was musing for a moment. Then a queer expression came over his
face.
"Girls!" he cried. "I think I have something that will just fill the bill!"
"Oh, Papa!" cried Grace, clapping her hands. "When you talk that way I
know something is going to happen!"

"Well, we'll see," he answered. "As I understand it, the High School
won't open until late this winter, on account of the repairs not being
finished."
"That's right, Daddy!" cried Grace. "Not until after Christmas. Go on!"
"Well, about this lumber camp that I've got to get someone to take
charge of. It seems that there are some bungalows or cabins in it that
can be hired out to campers. Now if----"
"Daddy, I've guessed it!" cried Grace, jumping up and putting her arms
about his neck. "You're going to let us go up there to a winter camp.
Aren't you?"
"I was thinking of it," he confessed. "It seems to me to be a fine chance
for you to get all the fresh air you want. And I suggest that you take
Amy along. What she needs is a change of environment. She has had
too much of Deepdale of late. Could you take her with you?"
"Of course, Daddy!" cried Grace. "Oh, what a lovely opportunity! We
could get Cousin Jane to go with us, perhaps," and she looked at Mollie,
whose cousin had chaperoned them on the auto tour.
"Yes, she could," said Mr. Ford, slowly. "And I was thinking of an old
lumberman and his wife whom I might appoint as care-takers of the
camp. They could help look after you."
"As if we needed looking after!" challenged Grace.
"Well, we'll think about it," he said. "If you girls want to go to a winter
camp, I see no reason why you could not. Of course there are
complications, but perhaps we can get over those."
"Complications!" cried Grace. "Girls, we'll not stir another step until
we hear all about those complications! It sounds very interesting."
"It surely does," agreed Betty and Mollie.

CHAPTER III
THE COMPLICATIONS
"Before I begin," said Mr. Ford, as he glanced over the papers that
littered the table, "let me ask, has anything new come up about your
friend Amy? Is she any nearer solving the mystery of her identity?"
"No," replied Betty.
"Then what occurred to-day?"
"Oh, it was that horrid