CHAPTER IV
OFF FOR OCEAN VIEW
"Are you going to take all those?"
"All those? Why, there aren't so many, Mollie."
"Well, I like your idea of _many_, Betty. Why, you'll need two trunksfor those dresses. Oh, where did you get that pretty linen skirt, andit's quite full, too; isn't it?"
"Yes, they're coming in that way again," and Betty draped the skirt inquestion over her hip, holding it up for Mollie to see. The two girlswere in Betty Nelson's room, and the Little Captain was packing a trunk.
At least that was the official name of the operation. To theuninitiated, or to "mere man," it looked as though nothing was beingdone except to scatter dresses on chairs, on the bed, divan and othervantage points.
"But I have to lay them all out this way," Betty had explained, whenMollie, running over in an interval of her own packing, to get ready togo to Ocean View, had gasped in wonder at the confusion in her friend'sroom. "I want to see what I have, so I'll know what to take with me."
"That isn't my way," Mollie laughed. "I simply open a closet door, sweepeverything off the hooks and toss them into a trunk. Then I get Feliceto jump on the lid with me, and--presto! the trick is done, Madame!" andshe laughed and shrugged her shoulders in pretty little French fashion.
"I simply can't do it that way," sighed Betty. "I suppose it does take along time to lay each dress out separately, but----"
"It is much more kind to the dresses," agreed Mollie. "That's why youalways look so nice, and why I always appear so--so----"
"Don't you dare say a word about yourself, Mollie Billette!" protestedBetty. "You always look so sweet. Why, you can take an old piece ofcloth and a couple of faded flowers, and make of it a hat that looksprettier than one mamma pays Madame Rosenti twelve dollars for when I gowith her. I don't see how you manage to do it."
"It was born in me!" laughed the French girl, as with a quick motion shedraped one of Betty's garments about her shoulders, producing an effectat which Betty gasped in pleasure.
"Now, why doesn't that ever look like that on _me_?" she demanded.
"Betty, you're a dear!" replied Mollie, without answering. "Now I amkeeping you. I must run back. I haven't begun to pack yet, and I knowPaul and Dodo will have my room in dreadful shape. They are probably, atthis minute, parading around in my best frocks, playing soldier," andMollie with a laughing kiss for her chum jumped up and fled from theroom to hurry home and minimize the work of the playful twins.
"Don't forget the time!" cried Betty, after her chum, leaning out of thewindow of her room, and breathing in deep of the balmy June air. "Weleave a week from to-day."
"Oh, I won't forget!" answered Mollie. "It is altogether too delightfulfor that."
Betty resumed her inspection of dresses, to determine which she shouldtake, while Mollie hastened home. But Betty had not long been alone whenthe doorbell tinkled and Grace Ford was announced.
"Tell her to come right up, if she will," Betty directed the maid, andthe tall, willowy one entered with a rush and a rustling of silkenskirts.
"My!" gasped Betty, looking up from her position, kneeling amid a pileof clothes. "All dressed up and no place to go, Grace! What does itmean? No, thank you, no chocolates when I'm looking over my prettythings. I might spot them."
"That's just what happened to me," sighed the Gibson girl. "I had to puton my best silk petticoat, as I spilled a lot of chocolate down myother. I sent it away to be cleaned, and that's why I'm wearing my bestone. Don't you just love the swish of silk?"
"I guess we all do," answered Betty. "Oh, dear!"
"What's the matter?" asked Grace. "Oh, but you are going at itwholesale; aren't you?" as she surveyed the room overflowing withclothes.
"Have to, my dear. It means an all-summer stay, you know. And I don'tknow what to take and what to leave. I'm sure to want the very things Idon't take."
"Take them all, then. That's what I'm doing. Only I haven't really begunyet. I just ran over to ask you something."
"Well, let it be something very easy, Grace dear. My brain isn't capableof taking in very much this morning."
"It's about Will," went on Grace, thoughtfully selecting a chocolatefrom a bag. "Are you sure you won't have some?" she asked.
"What, of Will? No, thank you!"
"Silly, of course not. I mean this candy. It's delicious! Just freshand----"
"Cloying," interrupted Betty. "You haven't a lime drop, have you?"
"Ugh! The horrid, sour things, no! But about Will. Did you know he had asecret Betty?"
"A secret? Mercy, no! Is it about some----"
"I don't believe it's a girl. If it is, Will acts the funniest of anyoneI ever saw. He has a lot of books and papers he's studying over."
"It might be her--letters--or--her picture that he puts in a book so noone will see----"
"It isn't that!" declared Grace with conviction. "Oh, this is a nougat!"she exclaimed in rapture, as her white teeth bit into a particularlydelicious candy.
"Hopeless!" sighed Betty, folding a skirt neatly.
"I mean he hasn't any girl's picture, or anything like that," went onGrace. "I found one of the books where he had laid it down. It is somesort of Government report. I thought you might know."
"Why?" asked Betty, quickly. "I'm not in his confidence."
"I know, but you see, Will and Allen being so chummy, and Allen being sofond of you----"
"Grace Ford!" broke in Betty. "You shouldn't say such things!" and sheblushed crimson.
"Why not?" demanded Grace, coolly. "There's no one here but us, and weknow it. I thought perhaps Will had told Allen, and Allen might havehinted to you."
"Not a word, Grace, dear. I didn't even know Will had a secret."
"Well, he has, and he won't tell me. But I'll find out. He's up tosomething. I only hope he doesn't run away again, or do somethingfoolish."
"Will doesn't mean anything," declared Betty. "He is just high-spirited;that's all. What sort of a secret did it seem to be, if it wasn'tabout--girls?" and Betty laughed.
"Oh, I'm sure it isn't about girls," Grace went on, seriously enough."At least it isn't any girl in our set, and Will doesn't know anyothers. And if it is some one in our set, they're all nice girls, so itwon't really matter--after we get used to it."
"Oh, dear!" laughed Betty. "You speak as though he were engaged!"
"Oh, I know he isn't," declared Grace. "But he _is_ such a tease. But ifyou don't know, you don't, Betty. And now I must run back. Have any ofthe other members of the club been over?"
"Yes, Mollie was just here."
Grace fished out another chocolate, after shaking up the bag to see ifthere were any choice ones at the bottom, and then, after trying in vainto induce Betty to accept a sweet, took her departure, saying she wasgoing to see to her own packing.
"Now it only needs a call from Amy to make the round of visitscomplete," murmured Betty, as she resumed the sorting of her garments.But Amy did not come that morning.
The outdoor girls were making ready for their trip to Ocean View, wherethe better part of the summer would be spent.
The arrangements had been made for the Nelson family to occupy thebeautiful cottage, Edgemere, which was completely furnished.
"Even to matches and a candle in each bedroom," Betty had said.
"But I thought you said it was a modern place," objected Grace. "I don'tlike candles--excuse me, Betty dear, but they are so--so smelly!"
"I know. The candles are only for emergency. The house has electriclights."
"Electric lights! I thought Ocean View was such a _quaint_ old place,"murmured Mollie.
"So it is. The electric plant is in Point Lomar, that swell summerresort. Only a few places in Ocean View have electricity."
And so the arrangements went on. Mollie, Grace and Amy were to beBetty's guests during the summer, though their parents or relatives hada standing invitation to spend week-ends and holidays at the shore.
"And of course the boys are alwa
ys welcome!" added Betty.
"And of course we'll _come_!" declared Will and the others. "That is,I'll spend as much time as I can away from my official duties!"
"Oh, he nearly told us then!" cried Grace. "Will, I'll never speak toyou again, if you don't tell me that secret."
"You shall know in due time, sister mine. As for your threat, I don'tmind your not speaking to me if you don't make me buy your chocolates. Icare not who speaks to me!" he paraphrased, "as long as I do not have tobuy their candy!"
"Here comes Percy Falconer!" interrupted Roy, and the littleconference, one of many held whenever the friends met--broke up.
While the girls were getting ready with trunks of clothes, the boys wereno less busily engaged. They had completed their plans for a series ofcruises along the coast, in the motor boat _Pocohontas_, loaned to AllenWashburn by a wealthy gentleman for whom he had done some law business,though Allen was not as yet admitted to the bar.
"I'll have a chance to practice this summer, getting the boat off asand-bar!" he had jokingly said.
And finally trunks were packed, tickets had been purchased, word hadcome from Ocean View that the cottage was in readiness, and at last, ona beautifully sunny June morning, the outdoor girls stood at thestation, ready to take the train.
The boys were there, also, as might have been guessed.
"And when are you coming down in the boat?" asked Betty.
"In about a week," Allen said. "We're having the engine overhauled, anew magneto put in and some other things done."
"I'm coming in the auto," broke in Percy Falconer. "Father did not wantme to make the boat trip, but the chauffeur will bring me down to theshore in the car."
"Pity he wouldn't use a feather bed," murmured Roy Anderson.
"Oh, here comes the train!" cried Mollie. "Girls, I'm almost sure I'veforgotten half my things."
"Good-bye, girls!" chorused the boys.
"Good-bye!" came the answer.
"Oh, Grace!" called Will to his sister.
"Yes," she answered.
"That secret of mine."
"Oh, yes. What is it? Do tell me! I haven't a second----"
"I'll tell you--when I come down!" his words floated to her as she wasborne along the platform with her chums to the train that was to takethem to Ocean View.
The Outdoor Girls at Ocean View; Or, The Box That Was Found in the Sand Page 4