The Outdoor Girls on Pine Island | Page 8

"Is it very far to the camp?" Mollie asked, after they had been walking
some time. "I'm anxious to get there."
"Not very far, now," Roy assured her. "It's just on the outskirts of the
town. Just wait till you get there. When you see how interesting it is
you won't mind the walk."
"I guess you don't know whom you are talking to," called Betty, just
behind them. "You forget that walking is our middle name."
"Pardon, fair damsel," said Roy in mock humility. "I must confess I had
forgotten for the moment that----"
"Oh, look! look! All the bonfires and things and people sitting around
them!" Mollie interrupted. "That must be the camp, isn't it, Roy?"
It really was the camp. The young people drew closer together as they
neared it, fascinated, yet half afraid. There were huge bulky objects in
the background beyond the illuminated circle of firelight.
"Those are the caravan wagons, aren't they?" demanded the Little
Captain in hushed tones. "Oh, I wish I could see inside one of them."
"Yes, they are the Pullman cars of the gypsies," laughed Jack. "Perhaps
you wouldn't like them so much inside if you did see them," he added.
"Oh, let's go on," urged Grace at Betty's elbow. "I'm dying to see more

of them, even if I am horribly afraid. Just look at all the tents they have
put up. They must expect to stay a long time."
The girls' eyes grew wider and wider as they advanced toward the
circle of flickering firelight. It seemed they were not the gypsies' only
visitors, for there were many residents of Deepdale, some of whom the
girls recognized.
The roving folk had set forth their wares upon rudely constructed tables,
ready for the first purchaser. Some of the things were truly
beautiful--pieces of rare old lace, chains and chains of many-colored
beads, silver that was polished till it reflected dazzlingly the dancing
firelight. There were rude tents set aside for the telling of fortunes, and
somewhere further back in the camp the wild, sweet strains of a violin
mingled with a man's sweet tenor voice.
"Some of those fellows surely can sing," Frank remarked. "I'd give a
good hundred dollars this minute if I had his voice."
"I wish I could find one for you, Frank," said Grace. "I need the
hundred badly."
The young people spent over an hour wandering about the place,
enjoying to the full the novelty and the romance of it all.
Just as they had about made up their minds that it was time to go home,
Betty, who had exclaimed more than once over the beauty of some of
the young gypsy girls, their beauty being emphasized by the
picturesque clothes they wore, stepped back to look into a tent they had
passed a moment before.
Allen saw his opportunity and was quick to improve it.
"You must be careful how you trot about alone here, Betty. You
know----" he began, when she interrupted him.
"Oh, it is!" she said. "It is!"

"What?" asked Allen, mystified.
She drew him back into the shadows before she answered. "I wasn't
sure, but now I know," she said. "That's the very old woman who
wanted to tell our fortunes at Grace's this afternoon."
"Well, what of it?" he inquired, with an attempt to be reassuring. "She
won't hurt you--not while I'm around."
"Oh, but I don't like her looks," and the girl shivered slightly.
"You need your coat, Betty," said Allen. "Where is it?"
"Jack--Mr. Sanford has it. I'll get it."
She started forward, but he laid a restraining hand on her arm. "Betty,
Betty," he whispered. "You're not going to keep this up, are you?"
"What do you mean?" she questioned, with an attempt at dignity that
was not a very great success.
"You know as well as I do," he answered. "It wasn't my fault. Amy
introduced her and I--well, I had to be decent. Betty, don't you know
me well enough----"
"Where have you people been anyway?" It was Amy's voice. "We've
been looking all over for you."
"Right here, every minute," said Allen cheerily, and the little party
started on again. Not, however, before Mollie and Grace had exchanged
very significant glances.
The young people turned for a last look at the gypsy rendezvous before
a bend in the road shut it from view.
"I've had an awfully good time," said Grace, then added, irrelevantly: "I
only hope those gypsies don't steal anything."
"That's a good hope," whispered Allen in Betty's ear. "They are

dabsters when it comes to getting away with other people's property."
CHAPTER V
THIEVES IN DEEPDALE
The door bell rang out its noisy summons.
Betty forestalled the maid on her way to the portal with a merry: "I'll go,
Mary. It's