The Dorrance Domain

by Carolyn Wells

  CHAPTER XXIII

  AN UNWELCOME PROPOSITION

  Though Dorothy enjoyed the fun of the motor-boat and the roof-garden,and was always happy whether working or playing, yet perhaps she likedbest of all, to lie in her hammock of a summer afternoon, and read orday-dream as she looked across the lake and watched the shadows on thedistant hills.

  On these occasions she felt sure she could be a poet, if she only knewhow to express properly the fancies that danced through her brain.

  Sometimes she would provide herself with a pencil and paper, but thoughshe might write a line or a phrase, she never could get any further. Theattempt to put her thoughts into words always produced a crude andstilted result which she knew instinctively was not poetry.

  "If I only could learn the wordy part of it," she said to herself, "I amsure I have the right thoughts to put into a poem."

  As she lay thinking about all this, one warm afternoon, she suddenlyheard a voice say: "_Is_ this a hotel, or isn't it?"

  Dorothy jumped, and sitting up in her hammock, saw a strange lady, whohad apparently just walked into the Domain.

  The newcomer was of the aggressive type. She was short and stout, with adetermined-looking face and a rather unattractive personal appearance.She wore a short, thick brown walking-skirt, and a brown linenshirt-waist, and heavy common-sense shoes. A plain brown felt hat wastied securely to her head by means of a brown veil knotted under herchin. She carried in one hand a small suit-case, and in the other astout walking-stick.

  Pretty Dorothy, in her fluffy summer muslin, looked at the strangercuriously a moment, and then, quickly recovering her poise, saidpolitely: "Yes, this is a hotel. Are you looking for board?"

  "No," said the stranger, "I am on a tramp. In fact I _am_ a tramp, alady-tramp. I am spending the whole summer walking about the country,enjoying myself."

  "You are fond of walking, then?" said Dorothy, by way of makingconversation.

  "No, I am not," replied the lady-tramp; "I am doing it to reduce myflesh, and I am enjoying myself because I have succeeded. Success isalways enjoyable."

  "Yes, it is;" and Dorothy herself, felt a satisfaction in the thoughtthat she too was succeeding in her summer's work.

  "My name," went on her visitor, "is Lucille Dillingham. I tramp all day,and at night I stay at any hotel or farmhouse near which I happen tofind myself. And so I want to stay at this hotel to-night, and if youwill tell me where to find the proprietor, I won't trouble you further."

  "I am the proprietor," said Dorothy, smiling, for she felt quite surethis statement would surprise Miss Lucille Dillingham.

  "If that's a joke," was the response, "I can't see any particular fun init. But no matter, I will inquire at the hotel myself."

  "But truly, Miss Dillingham, I am the proprietor," and Dorothy stood upand put on the most dignified air of which she was capable. "I amDorothy Dorrance, and this hotel is the property of my grandmother; butI am the acknowledged proprietor, and I shall be very glad to talk toyou as such."

  "You don't mean it, child! well if that is not the greatest I ever heardof! I am a great believer myself in the capability of women; but for agirl like you to run a hotel, is one ahead of _my_ experience! Tell meall about it."

  "There isn't much to tell," said Dorothy, who was not at all pleasantlyimpressed by the air and manner of the lady-tramp, and she couldn't helpthinking to herself that the tramp was more in evidence than the lady."However," she went on, courteously, "I live here with my grandmother,and my brother and two sisters. We have entire charge of this hotel, andwe try to manage it in a way to satisfy our guests and ourselves. Ifyou wish to stay for the night, Miss Dillingham, I am sure we can makeyou comfortable."

  Miss Dillingham's eyes sparkled.

  "I will do better than that," she cried; "I will stay all the time, andI will run the hotel for you. I am a splendid manager, and much betterfitted for that sort of thing than a frivolous young girl like you. Oh,we'll get along famously!"

  Dorothy began to wonder whether Miss Dillingham might not have escapedfrom some lunatic asylum, but she only said, "Thank you very much foryour kind offer, but the hotel is running smoothly, and I really can'tsee the necessity for any change in the administration." Just at thismoment Fairy came flying across the lawn, and flinging herself into thehammock, drew the sides of it together around her athletic little body,and with a peculiar kicking motion twisted herself and the hammock overand over in a sort of revolving somersault. Then still holding the sidesshe poked up her golden head, crowned with its big white bow, and gazedat the stranger.

  "You must 'scuse me," she said, "for 'pearing so unsuspectedly. But Ialways come that way when I am in a hurry, and I'm always in a hurry."

  "This is my sister Fairy, Miss Dillingham," said Dorothy, and Fairybounced out of the hammock, and gracefully offered her hand to thestranger.

  "How do you do?" she said. "I am very glad to see you, and I hope youhave come to stay, 'cause it's time we had some new boarders. I am'fraid we are running behind with our 'spenses."

  Dorothy bit her lip to keep from laughing at Fairy's attitude ofproprietorship, and Miss Dillingham stared at the child in blankamazement.

  "Ah," she said, "is this another proprietor of this very remarkablehotel?"

  "I'm not purporietor," said Fairy, "my sister is that; and my brother isclerk. I am just a general helper, and sometimes I help with the babiesand the parrot."

  Miss Dillingham seemed more and more bewildered, but she said, "I thinkyou're all lunatics, and need somebody to look after you, and straightenyou out. I shall stay here for the night, and look into this thing. Itinterests me extremely. Pray have you many boarders, and are they all ascrazy as yourselves?"

  Dorothy resented this question, but she kept her temper under control,and replied, "We have a number of boarders and we consider them quitesane, and they seem to think us so. If you wish to stay for the night, Iwill take you to the house at once and give you a room."

  Miss Dillingham gave a sort of exasperated sniff, which Dorothy took tomean acquiescence, and they all started for the house.

  Fairy walked backwards in front of the others, whirling all the wayround, now and then, to make sure her path was clear.

  "Did you really think we were crazy?" she asked, much interested in theidea.

  "I did," replied Miss Dillingham, "and I am not yet convinced to thecontrary."

  Suddenly Fairy realized that this was another occasion for registration,and with one of her loudest shrieks at the thought, she darted towardsthe house and disappeared through the front door.

  "Leicester!" she cried, and then with a prolonged yell, "Les--ter!"Leicester appeared by a jump through a window. "What's up?" he said.

  "Oh, Less, there's a new boarder, and she's crazy, and she thinks weare, and she will want to register. Do get in the coop, quick!"

  Grasping the situation, Leicester flung himself through the wicket doorand behind the office desk. In a jiffy, he had assumed his clerkly air,and had opened the great register at the proper date.

  When Dorothy appeared, a moment later, with Miss Dillingham, Leicesteroffered the pen to the newcomer with such a businesslike air that thereseemed really no further room to doubt the responsibility of the hotelmanagement. Then he rang a bell, and in a moment Mr. Hickox appeared,and with the deferential demeanor of a porter picked up MissDillingham's suit-case and stick.

  Then Dorothy escorted the lady-tramp to her room, and returned a fewmoments later, to find the other children waiting for an explanation.

  "Where did you catch it?" asked Leicester.

  "What is it?" inquired Lilian.

  "It's only for one night," explained Dorothy, laughing; "but, Less, shewants to run the hotel! She thinks we aren't responsible!"

  It really seemed inevitable, so Lilian started the Dorrance groan. Theothers took it up, with their usual enthusiasm, and though it was oflate a forbidden indulgence, they let themselves go for once, and theresult was an unearthly din that broug
ht grandma to the scene at once.

  "Children!" she exclaimed. "You know you promised not to do that!"

  "I know, grandma," explained Fairy, "but truly, this is a specialtyoccasion. You don't know what's happened, and what she wants to do."

  But before Mrs. Dorrance could learn what had happened, thenewly-registered guest herself, came flying down the staircase.

  "What _is_ the matter?" she cried; "is the house on fire? Has anybodybeen killed?"

  "We must 'pollergize, Miss Dillingham," spoke up Fairy; "that's ourDorrance groan, it belongs to the family; we don't use it much up here,'cause it wakes up the baby and otherwise irritations the boarders."

  "I should think it would," put in Miss Dillingham, with conviction.

  "Yes, it does," went on Fairy, agreeably; "and so you see, we don't 'lowourselves to 'spress our feelings that way very often. But to-day we hada purtickular reason for it, and so somehow we found ourselvesa-groaning before we knew it."

  Ignoring Fairy and her voluble explanation, Miss Dillingham turned toMrs. Dorrance, and inquired with dignity: "Are you the lady of thehouse?"

  "I am the owner of the house," said Grandma Dorrance, with her owngentle dignity, "and my granddaughter Dorothy is in charge of it. Imust ask you to forgive the disturbance the children just made, and Ithink I can safely assure you it will not happen again."

  Grandma Dorrance looked at her grandchildren, with an air of confidencethat was responded to by a look of loving loyalty from each pair oflaughing young eyes.

  "I don't understand it at all," said Miss Dillingham; "but I will nowreturn to my room, and take a short nap, if the house can be kept quiet.Then later, I have a proposition which I wish to lay before you, andwhich will doubtless prove advantageous to all concerned."

  Miss Dillingham stalked majestically up the stairs again, and theDorrances consulted as to what she could mean by her extraordinaryproposition.

  "I know," said Dorothy, "she wants to run the hotel. She informed methat she was much better qualified for such a business than I am."

  "Oh, ho!" cried Leicester, "she is, is she! Well I like her nerve!"

  "I wish she hadn't come," said Fairy, beginning to cry. "I don't wanther to run this hotel, and Dorothy and all of us only be just boarders."

  "Don't cry, Fairy, whatever you do," exclaimed Leicester. "If you put upone of your best crying-spells, it will make more noise than the groandid, and our new friend will come racing down-stairs again."

  This suggestion silenced Fairy, and Leicester went on: "Do you reallymean, Dot, that she proposed seriously to take charge of the Domain?"

  "Yes, she did; and I think she expects to make a business proposition tothat effect."

  "All right, then; let's give her as good as she sends. Let's pretendthat we entertain her proposition, and see what she has to say forherself."

  "You'd better be careful," said Lilian, the practical, "sometimes peopleget caught in their own trap; and if you pretend you're going to let herhave charge of affairs here, first thing you know she'll be at the headof things, and we will all be nowhere."

  "Huh!" exclaimed Dorothy. "I'm not afraid of being dethroned by anylady-tramp that happens along. Just let her try it!"

  "However she might frighten us singly," said Leicester, "I rather guessthat the Dorrance family as a whole, can stand up for their rights."

  "Don't be foolish, children," said grandma; "Dorothy must havemisunderstood the lady. She couldn't have meant to make such a strangeproposition at a moment's notice."

  * * * * *

  But apparently that is just what Miss Lucille Dillingham did mean. Forthat evening, after dinner, she gathered the Dorrance children round herin one of the small drawing-rooms, and talked to them in astraightforward if unacceptable way.

  "Now don't say a word," she said, "until I have thoroughly explained myintention."

  "We won't say a word, Miss Dillingham," said Fairy, "until you say yourspeech. But please say it plain, 'cause I'm the littlest one andsometimes I can't understand big words. 'Course I say big words myself,sometimes, but I understand my own, only other people's aren't alwaystellergibble to me. And so, you see I just have to----"

  "That will do, Fairy," interrupted Leicester; "we've agreed not to doour talking until Miss Dillingham is through."

  "In a few words, then," began Miss Dillingham, with the air of one whois satisfied of a foregone conclusion, "I want to say that in the fewhours I have been here I have thoroughly acquainted myself with theconditions and possibilities of this hotel. And I have discovered thatit is improperly managed by incompetent hands, and that it is,therefore, a lucky stroke of fortune for you that I happened along justnow. I propose to assume entire charge of the hotel, give it a new name,establish new methods of management, and control absolutely the receiptsand expenditures."

  If the four Dorrances hadn't been possessed of a strong sense of humor,they would have been appalled by this extraordinary proposition. As itwas, it struck them all as being very funny, and though with difficultyrestraining a smile, Leicester inquired, with every appearance ofserious interest, "And where do we come in?"

  "You will be merely boarders," announced Miss Dillingham, "and can runand play as befits children of your ages. It may seem strange to you atfirst, that I should make you this generous proposition on so short anacquaintance, but it is my habit to make quick decisions, and I rarelyregret them."

  "Would you mind telling us your reasons for wanting to do this thing?"asked Lilian.

  "My reasons are perhaps too subtle for young minds to understand. Theyare partly ethical, for I cannot make it seem right that a girl ofsixteen should be so weighted with responsibility; and, too, I amactuated in part by motives of personal advantage. I may say the projectseems to possess a pecuniary interest for me----"

  "Miss Dillingham," said Fairy fixing her wide-open eyes on the lady'sface, "'scuse me for interrupting, but truly I can't understand allthose words. What does etherkle mean? and what is tercumerary? They arenice words and I would like to save them to use myself, if I knew alittle bit what they meant."

  "Never mind what they mean, Fairy," said Leicester; "and MissDillingham, it is not necessary for us to consider this matter anyfurther. You have made your proposition, and I am sure that I speak forthe four of us, when I say that we decline it absolutely and withoutfurther discussion."

  When Leicester chose, he could adopt a tone and manner that seemed farmore like a man, than like a boy of his years; and Miss Dillinghamsuddenly realized that she was not dealing with quite such childishminds as she had supposed.

  "My brother is quite right," said Dorothy, and she, too, put on her mostgrown-up manner, which, by the way, was very grown-up indeed. "Althoughsurprised at what you have said, we understand clearly your offer, andwe respectfully but very positively decline it _in toto_."

  As Dorothy confessed afterwards, she didn't know exactly what _in toto_meant, but she felt quite certain it came in appropriately just there.

  Miss Dillingham seemed to think so too, or at any rate she was impressedby the attitude of the Dorrance young people, and without a furtherword, she rose and stalked away and they saw her no more that night. Thenext morning she was up early and after a somewhat curt leave-taking,she tramped away.

  "I think I could have liked her," said Dorothy, thoughtfully, "if shehadn't tried to steal away from us our Dorrance Domain."

  CHAPTER XXIV

  DOROTHY'S REWARD

  Fairy continued her weekly visits to Mrs. Hickox, but she was positivelyforbidden by her hostess ever to bring any one with her.

  Mrs. Hickox was possessed of a peculiar kind of shyness, and she shrankfrom meeting people more sophisticated than herself. She had becomedevotedly attached to Fairy, and really looked forward eagerly to theafternoons the child spent with her. She continued to be surprised atthe doings of the Dorrances, but had never been to the Domain since herfirst call upon the family.

  "Mr. Hickox tells me yo
u've got a roof-garden," she said to Fairy oneday, as they sat sociably in the milk-room. "Now for the land's sake dotell me what that is. Is it the thing that runs by electrics?"

  "No," said Fairy, who never laughed at Mrs. Hickox's ignorance; "it'sthe _Shooting Star_ that runs by electricity; the roof-garden doesn'trun at all,--it just stays still."

  "Well what is it, anyhow?"

  "Why, the roof-garden is just a garden on the roof."

  "A garden on a roof! well I _am_ surprised! What do you raise in thegarden? peas and beans? It must be an awful trouble to get the dirt upthere, and to get the water up there to water things with. As forgetting the potatoes and pumpkins down, I suppose you can just throwthem down,--though I must say I should think it would spoil thepumpkins."

  "Oh, we don't raise vegetables in the roof-garden, Mrs. Hickox," saidFairy, laughing in spite of herself.

  "Well, what _do_ you raise?"

  "Why we don't raise anything; we just stay there."

  "Humph! I can't see any garden about that. But I did want to know whatthe thing was like. 'Cause I cut out a clipping yesterday,--Hickory, hegot his shoes home from the cobbler's, and they was wrapped in a pieceof a New York newspaper; my, but I had a good time! I cut so manyclippings out of that newspaper, that what's left would do for a pictureframe. The worst of it was, so many clippings backed up against others,and they wasn't the same length. People ought to be more careful howthey print their newspapers. Well, as I was saying, I cut out a pieceabout a roof-garden, but I guess you're right about their not raisin'things in it. My land! I couldn't get head or tail to the whole yarn. Sothat's why I wanted to ask you just what a roof-garden is. But I ain'tfound out much."

  Fairy endeavored to explain further, but Mrs. Hickox's mind seemedincapable of grasping the real intent of a roof-garden, after all; andso after intimating her continued surprise, she changed the subject.

  Mrs. Hickox was the only one who could sustain the greater part in aconversation with Fairy. For some reason the child liked the queer oldlady, and was contented to listen while she talked; though usuallyFairy's own loquacity was not so easily curbed.

  "I told Hickory, long ago, that that biggest sister of yours would setLake Ponetcong on fire yet; or he told me, I don't know which, and itdon't make no difference now; but, anyway, I'm free to confess she'sdone it. To think of a girl of sixteen takin' a pack of boarders intothat big hotel, and makin' a success of it! It is surprisin'! and shedoes everything up so slick, too. Why, Hickory says the meals is alwayson time, and the whole place is always as neat and cleared-up lookin' asmy best room."

  "My sister Dorothy _is_ a smart girl," agreed Fairy, who was alwaysready to stand up for her family; "Mr. Faulkner says she has great'zecutive billerty,--and I guess she has."

  "You all have," said Mrs. Hickox, heartily. "You're as queer as Dick'shatband,--every one of you,--but you're smarter 'n steel-traps. And therest of you work just as good as Dorothy does. You ain't none of youshirks. Of course you have lots of help, but I s'pose you need it.Hickory, he does a lot of work for you, but, land! he gets paid enough,so it's all right."

  "Wouldn't you like to come over and see the roof-garden?" asked Fairy,though without much hope that her invitation would be accepted.

  "No, child, no; I ain't got no use for new-fangled doin's. Myold-fashioned garden is good enough for me. I like to read about thingsin newspapers, but I don't hanker none about being mixed up in 'em. Runalong now, here comes Mr. Hickox and he'll be wantin' his supper. Runalong, quick now,--good-bye. Well I _am_ surprised!"

  The last remark was addressed to the approaching Mr. Hickox, but havingbeen so peremptorily dismissed, Fairy did not turn to see what the newoccasion for Mrs. Hickox's surprise might be.

  The month of August went pleasantly along at the Dorrance Domain. No newboarders were registered, but all who were there, stayed through themonth, and all except the Blacks stayed into the early September. TheDorrances had given up all idea of Mr. Lloyd's coming to visit them, ashe had written earlier in the season that he would do.

  But one day a letter came, saying that he would run up for a couple ofdays.

  Aside from their appreciation of Mr. Lloyd's kindness in a business way,the Dorrances all liked that genial gentleman as a friend, and the newsof his visit was gladly received. The Dorrance Domain was put into galadress for the occasion, and a special program was arranged for theevening's entertainment.

  He was taken for a sail in the _Shooting Star_, given a drive behind oldDobbin, and initiated into the picturesque pleasures of the roof-garden.

  Mr. Lloyd was most appreciative and enthusiastic; and it was fun for theDorrances to see his astonishment at the success of their hotelmanagement. Although Grandma Dorrance had written to him what thechildren were doing, in a general way, he had formed no idea of themagnitude of their enterprise.

  The second day of his stay they held a family conference in one of thesmall parlors. He had told Grandma Dorrance that he wished for abusiness talk with her alone, but she had said that the children werequite as capable of understanding their financial situation as sheherself, if not more so; and that, after their interest and assistancethrough the summer, they were entitled to a hearing of whatever Mr.Lloyd might have to say.

  So the family conclave was called, and Mr. Lloyd took the occasion toexpress his hearty appreciation of what they had done.

  "You seem to have the Dorrance grit," he said; "your GrandfatherDorrance would have been proud of his grandchildren, could he have knownwhat they would accomplish. He little thought when he bought this hotelproperty that his family would ever live here,--let alone running it asa hotel."

  "It seems so strange," said Dorothy, "to think that this old Domain thatwe've made fun of for so many years, and never thought was good foranything, should have helped us through this summer."

  "I hope, my dear," said Mr. Lloyd, "that you have been careful andprudent about your expenditures. For sometimes, these excitingenterprises look very fine and desirable, but are exceedingly costly inthe end."

  Mr. Lloyd was a kind friend, and felt great interest in the Dorrancefortunes; but his cautious, legal mind, could not avoid a carefulconsideration of the exact state of their finances.

  "We have kept our accounts very strictly, sir," said Dorothy, "and wefind that the Dorrance Domain has entirely supported our family for thesummer,--I mean that we are in debt to nobody as a consequence of havingspent our summer here."

  "That is fine, my dear child, that is fine," said Mr. Lloyd, rubbing hishands together, as he always did when pleased; "I must congratulate youon that result."

  "And we've had such fun, too," exclaimed Fairy, whose big white bow andsmiling face suddenly appeared over the back of the sofa which she wasclambering up. "I do some of the work, but I don't mind it a bit, and weall of us get plenty of time to play, and go sailing, and fishing andeverything." As Fairy continued talking she kept rapidly scrambling overthe sofa, down to the floor, under the sofa, and up its back, and overit again, repeatedly. This in no way interfered with her flow ofconversation, and she went on: "We can make all the racket we like,too,--nobody minds a speck,--not even Miss Marcia Van Arsdale. She saysit's nothing but animal spiritualism."

  "It has been one of the greatest comforts," said Grandma Dorrance, "tothink that the children _could_ make all the noise they wanted to; for Isuffered tortures at Mrs. Cooper's, trying to keep them quiet. Here,they are free to do as they choose, and there is room enough to do asthey choose, without annoying other people. I think myself, that theydeserve great commendation for their work this summer. It has not beeneasy; but fortunately, they are blessed with temperaments that taketroubles lightly, and make play out of hard work. But I want you to tellus, Mr. Lloyd, just how we stand financially. The children are anxiousto know, and so am I. They insist that hereafter they shall share myanxieties and responsibilities, and I am more than glad to have them doso."

  "I am gratified, Mrs. Dorrance, and my dear young people, to be able totell
you,"--here Mr. Lloyd paused impressively,--"to be able to tell youthat the outlook is highly satisfactory. Since you have not called uponme for any of your money during the summer months, I have been able toapply it towards the repairs that were so necessary on the Fifty-eighthStreet house. Except for a few small bills, that indebtedness is thusprovided for. Your next quarter's allowance is, therefore,unencumbered."

  "I think," said Dorothy, her eyes shining in the excitement of themoment, "that this is a good time to present our statement of accounts.We've been keeping it as a little surprise for grandma, and we want Mr.Lloyd to know about it too. I wanted Leicester to tell you, and he saidfor me to tell you; but we all had just as much to do with it as eachother, so we're all going to tell you together. Come on, all of you."

  The other three Dorrances sprang towards Dorothy in their usualhop-skip-and-jump fashion, and in a moment they stood in a straightline, toeing a mark.

  They took hold of hands, and swinging their arms back and forth, reciteda speech which had evidently been rehearsed before-hand.

  "We've paid all expenses," they said, speaking in concert, but not asloudly as usual, "and besides that, we've cleared three hundreddollars!"

  "What!" exclaimed Mr. Lloyd, holding up his hands in astonishment.

  "Oh, my dear children!" cried Grandma Dorrance, uncertain whether sheshould laugh or weep.

  "Yes, isn't it perfectly wonderful?" cried Dorothy, and the concertedspeech being over, the four children precipitated themselves headlong inevery direction.

  "We wanted to holler it all out," explained Fairy; "but we were afraidthe boarder-people would hear us, and they mightn't think it polite."

  "It's all right," said Lilian, stoutly; "we didn't overcharge anybody,and we didn't scrimp them. The reason we made money was because we didso much of the work ourselves, and because Dorothy is such a goodmanager."

  "Hurrah for Dorothy," shrieked Leicester, in a perfect imitation of MissMarcia's parrot.

  The cheer that went up for Dorothy was deafening, but nobody minded, foreverybody was so happy.

  "I couldn't have done anything without the others' help," protestedDorothy; "and of course we couldn't any of us have carried out this planat all, without grandma. So you see it took the whole five of us to makea success of the Dorrance Domain."

  "Hurrah for the Dorrance Domain," shouted Fairy, and then every one inthe room, not excepting Grandma Dorrance and Mr. Lloyd, cheered fromtheir very hearts,

  "Hurrah for the Dorrance Domain!"

  * * * * *

  The Carolyn Wells Books for Girls

  THE FAMOUS "PATTY" BOOKS

  Patty Fairfield Patty at Home Patty in the City Patty's Summer Days Patty in Paris Patty's Friend Patty's Pleasure Trip Patty's Success Patty's Motor Car Patty's Butterfly Days Patty's Social Season Patty's Suitors Patty's Romance Patty's Fortune Patty Blossom Patty--Bride Patty and Azalea

  THE MARJORIE BOOKS

  Marjorie's Vacation Marjorie's Busy Days Marjorie's New Friend Marjorie in Command Marjorie's Maytime Marjorie at Seacote

  TWO LITTLE WOMEN SERIES

  Two Little Women Two Little Women and Treasure House Two Little Women on a Holiday

  * * * * *

  THE TOM SWIFT SERIES

  By VICTOR APPLETON

  Author of "The Don Sturdy Series."

  Tom Swift, known to millions of boys of this generation, is a brightingenious youth whose inventions, discoveries and thrilling adventuresare described in these spirited tales that tell of the wonderfuladvances in modern science.

  TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR CYCLE TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR BOAT TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIRSHIP TOM SWIFT AND HIS SUBMARINE BOAT TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIRELESS MESSAGE TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RUNABOUT TOM SWIFT AMONG THE DIAMOND MAKERS TOM SWIFT IN THE CAVES OF ICE TOM SWIFT AND HIS SKY RACER TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RIFLE TOM SWIFT IN THE CITY OF GOLD TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER TOM SWIFT IN CAPTIVITY TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA TOM SWIFT AND HIS GREAT SEARCHLIGHT TOM SWIFT AND HIS GIANT CANNON TOM SWIFT AND HIS PHOTO TELEPHONE TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP TOM SWIFT AND HIS BIG TUNNEL TOM SWIFT IN THE LAND OF WONDERS TOM SWIFT AND HIS WAR TANK TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR SCOUT TOM SWIFT AND HIS UNDERSEA SEARCH TOM SWIFT AMONG THE FIRE FIGHTERS TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE TOM SWIFT AND HIS FLYING BOAT TOM SWIFT AND HIS GREAT OIL GUSHER TOM SWIFT AND HIS CHEST OF SECRETS TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIRLINE EXPRESS TOM SWIFT CIRCLING THE GLOBE TOM SWIFT AND HIS TALKING PICTURES TOM SWIFT AND HIS HOUSE ON WHEELS TOM SWIFT AND HIS BIG DIRIGIBLE TOM SWIFT AND HIS SKY TRAIN TOM SWIFT AND HIS GIANT MAGNET TOM SWIFT AND HIS TELEVISION DETECTOR