The Motor Maids at Sunrise Camp Part 33

"It's about two impostors who travel around in a little wooden house on wheels and live like Gypsies----"

"Oh, dear," cried Maggie, "now what have you been finding out about us, pray?"

"I know," said Richard. "You've found that we are really Gypsies and only pretending to be amateurs."

"Nothing of the sort. I've discovered that you have been traveling under a disguise----"

"My name is certainly 'Hook,'" put in Richard.

"And mine is Maggie," piped his sister.

"Maybe so," went on Percy. "That's not the disguise. You've been wearing the cloak of poverty, when you are really as rich as cream, the pair of you, with an old grandfather in England who has a t.i.tle and castles and much pleasing property; and every now and then the old grandpapa sends for you and you have to give up Gypsying and fly."

"And _he's_ your boss who's always interfering with your vacations?"

interrupted Billie.

"And you just _pretend_ to be poor for the novelty of the experience?"

asked Nancy. "I wish I could pretend to be rich in the same way."

"But we are Gypsies at heart," put in Maggie, "and I do love to scrub and cook. Grandpapa's is so dull."

"And where does Grandpapa think you are now? Not in a traveling van, I'll wager," said Miss Campbell.

Maggie laughed.

"We are supposed to be visiting Aunt Lucretia. She's our American aunt, Papa's sister, who brought us up, before Grandpapa decided to recognize us. You see Mamma would marry Papa, who was poor then, and came from Maine. He looked just like Richard and I don't blame her. Grandpapa lets us come every summer to visit Aunt Lucretia now."

"And where does Aunt Lucretia think you are?"

"Why, visiting Amy Swinnerton."

Who could keep from laughing over this brother and sister who loved the life on the road and the campfire?

"Thank fortune, I'm not in line for the t.i.tle," Richard whispered to Billie under cover of the conversation of the others, "and Grandpapa or no Grandpapa, I shall buy that farm,--do you guess where?"

"I can't imagine," answered Billie.

"In West Haven. I've never seen it, but that is the place you like best, isn't it?"

"I think I like the traveling van best," answered Billie irrelevantly,--"that is, next to the 'Comet,'" she added with a sudden feeling of loyalty toward the faithful motor car.

"The traveling van would be a part of it and the 'Comet,' too, for that matter."

Then he calmly slipped his hand over hers under the folds of her scarlet cape.

"Shall we be comrades of the road?" he whispered.

"Some day, perhaps," Billie answered, not taking her hand away, but glancing shyly at her father, who was watching her face in the fire light.

Then she smiled at Richard. After all, she was past eighteen and Richard,--well, Richard was the most delightful person she had ever met in all her life.

Let us take leave of our young people before they go back to the valleys where work is waiting for them. Brown and strong and happy, they sit in a circle talking and laughing, as boys and girls will, under the light of the harvest moon.

While they are still comrades of the road, we will bid them good-night.

Good-night, little Mary, calm and sweet, watching the stars twinkling through the tree tops. Good-night to you, Nancy, dimpling and smiling, while Percy whispers in your ear; and Elinor, too, talking quietly and happily to Ben. And now a last good-night to Billie, best of comrades, kindest and truest of friends.

THE END.

THE VICTORY BOY SCOUTS

BY CAPTAIN ALAN DOUGLAS SCOUTMASTER

Stories from the pen of a writer who possesses a thorough knowledge of his subject. In addition to the stories there is an addenda in which useful boy scout nature lore is given, all ill.u.s.trated. There are the following twelve t.i.tles in the series:

1. The Campfires of the Wolf Patrol.

2. Woodcraft; or, How a Patrol Leader Made Good.

3. Pathfinder; or, the Missing Tenderfoot.

4. Great Hike; or, the Pride of Khaki Troop.

5. Endurance Test; or, How Clear Grit Won the Day.

6. Under Canvas; or, the Search for the Carteret Ghost.

7. Storm-bound; or, a Vacation Among the Snow-Drifts.

8. Afloat; or, Adventures on Watery Trails.

9. Tenderfoot Squad; or, Camping at Racc.o.o.n Lodge.

10. Boy Scout Electricians; or, the Hidden Dynamo.

11. Boy Scouts in Open Plains; or, the Round-up not Ordered.

12. Boy Scouts in an Airplane; or, the Warning from the Sky.

M. A. DONOHUE & COMPANY 701-733 S. Dearborn Street, Chicago

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