The Outdoor Girls on Pine Island | Page 6

pretty
ladies."
Betty glanced inquiringly at the other girls, but they shook their heads
decidedly--the mumbling old crone was getting on their nerves.
"Not to-day," said Betty, as kindly as she could. "We are expecting
company and we haven't time. Some other time perhaps."

"Some other day may be too late," said the old crone, leeringly. "Oh,
yes, you will have all the time there is to be miserable in. And you will
be! You will be! The curse be on you for refusing an old woman like
me the price of her bread!" and she hobbled down the long drive
muttering to herself and stopping once to shake her fist at the startled
girls.
"Oh, did you ever!" Mollie exclaimed. Just then there was a sound of
jolly, masculine laughter and around a corner of the house came the
boys.
"Oh, I've never been so glad to see anybody in all my life!" said Grace
with a little shiver, as the boys paused to gaze after the retreating form
of the old hag. "It is such a relief to have some boys around!"
"I say! who's your venerable friend, Grace?" Roy inquired as he and his
friends joined the girls.
"Yes, what did you do to her, Betty?" It was Allen Washburn who
asked the question. He was a young lawyer, liked and admired by every
one in Deepdale, and let it be said here that Betty was no exception to
the general rule. And as for young Allen Washburn himself, he never
sought to conceal his genuine admiration for the Little Captain. "The
last I saw of her, she was shaking her fist at the house. She didn't seem
to be in any too sweet a temper, either."
"It was just because we wouldn't let her read our fortunes," Betty
explained. "Oh, I wouldn't let that old thing touch me!"
"I could tell your fortune for you, if you'd only let me," whispered
Allen, so softly that only Betty heard. But that was as it should be,
since it was intended for her ear alone.
"She looked just like a--oh, what do you call them?--the people that
wander around all the time and never have any homes--oh, I know,
gypsies," said Amy eagerly. "Wasn't she a gypsy, Will?"
"Oh, now she's gone and spilled the beans!" said Frank, so ruefully that

they all laughed. "Here we come, all primed to give you a surprise, and
we find you prepared beforehand."
"But what surprise?" asked Mollie. "She didn't tell us anything--we
wouldn't let her."
"Yes, she did. She told you everything, only you don't know it," was
Will's enigmatic comment. "You see," he went on, "there's a gypsy
encampment near by and we thought you girls might like to visit it. The
caravans they use and the strange costumes are all mighty interesting."
"Oh, won't that be fine!" said Grace eagerly. "I've always wanted to see
one of those things near by. When can we go?"
"I thought you didn't like gypsies, Grace," Betty broke in.
"Well, I wouldn't if they were all like this," answered Grace. "But
they're not, are they, Roy? There are lots and lots of really
romantic-looking ones if all the books I've read know anything about
it."
"Of course there are. You don't suppose we'd take you to see a lot of
old crones like this peppery woman, do you?" Roy answered. "Why,
I've heard there are some mighty good-looking girls in this crowd."
"Now I see why they're so anxious to go," laughed Betty. "I don't think
we'd better chance it, girls. They might become so charmed with the
fair gypsy maids that they'd forget our existence."
"I don't think you need worry too much about that," said Allen,
answering the challenge in Betty's eyes. "The only question is whether
we will have eyes to see the charms of the gypsy maids."
"Here! here!" shouted Will. "You're coming on, Allen, you're coming
on. I wish I could reel them off like that. Well, ladies, what day shall
we set for the adventure?"
"To-night," said Betty promptly.

"Good," Frank responded. "Betty has the right idea, all right. To-night
it is!"
So it was settled, and when they parted eyes were bright with the
excitement of the coming adventure.
CHAPTER IV
THE GYPSY ENCAMPMENT
Betty was ready before any one arrived that night. The boys and girls
were to meet at her house and from there go on to the gypsy
encampment.
She sat on the porch with a light wrap thrown over one arm and waited
impatiently.
"Oh, why don't they come?" she thought. "The girls said they would be
early, and the boys are always away ahead of time. Oh, here come
Grace and Will, now if the others will only hurry."
"Hello, Betty! Been waiting