Chapter Page I. [Indian Summer] 7 II. [Half Moon Lake] 19 III. [Old Friends] 29 IV. [The Hermit] 43 V. [A Conversation and a Loss] 57 VI. [“A Man for a’ That”] 72 VII. [Friendship] 83 VIII. [Midwinter] 92 IX. [The Poet’s Corner] 107 X. [Holiday Guests] 116 XI. [Juliet Temple] 128 XII. [Friends That Were] 142 XIII. [Anxious Waiting] 154 XIV. [Christmas Eve] 162 XV. [Romance] 173 XVI. [An Encounter] 195 XVII. [Closed In] 204 XVIII. [Spring] 212
ILLUSTRATIONS
[“I am a Stranger in This Locality,” He Explained] Frontispiece PAGE [For a Moment the Man Stared in Silence] 59 [Sally’s Hands Beat Against the Closed Door] 160 [“I Wish You Would Help Me About Something,” She Said] 189
The Camp Fire Girls
At Half Moon Lake
CHAPTER I
Indian Summer
Two girls were following a narrow trail.
About them the woods were scarlet and flame, golden and bronze, and in contrast the blue-green depth of tall pine and cedar trees.
Down a steep hill the trail led; on either side a thick underbrush of wild grapevines and blackberries that twisted and sprawled, showing shriveled clumps of seed pods where formerly the fruit had ripened.
One of the girls, wearing a corduroy costume of hunter’s green and a tam-o-shanter of the same shade, was carrying a rifle, while over her shoulder hung a brace of rabbits and half a dozen quail.
Following close behind her the second girl’s costume was of the same character, a short skirt and coat with leather leggings and high boots, but of dark blue.