Category: Children & Young Adult Reading
"There's no surprise in an oyster unless there's a pearl in it, goosey," teased Nancy. "But here it comes! Here it comes!" she cried, clapping her hands joyfully, while six pairs of eyes peered curiously down the street, which, by gentle degrees, became a country road. The tri...
"There's no surprise in an oyster unless there's a pearl in it, goosey," teased Nancy. "But here it comes! Here it comes!" she cried, clapping her hands joyfully, while six pair...
2. CHAPTER II.--FRIENDS IN NEED."Now, Nancy," protested Elinor, "don't be too hard on her. Remember, she has not seen any of us since we were children. Perhaps she's forgotten all about us. Besides, I've been...
3. CHAPTER III.--THE MUSICIANS OF BREMEN.Nancy could not keep from trembling slightly as she heard the car panting at a little distance and realized that perhaps a moment of real danger was near, in spite of their joki...
4. CHAPTER IV.--PLOTS AND PLANS.And when she was not pretty, Belle's friends liked to keep well out of her vicinity. At such times two little white dents appeared on each side of her nose. Her large, china blu...
5. CHAPTER V.--THE FIRST MOTOR PICNIC.One Saturday morning early in September Miss Helen Campbell gave a breakfast party to her four favorite Blue Birds. It was to be the beginning of an eventful day for the young g...
6. CHAPTER VI.--THE BOX OF TROUBLES.Shell Island is really only an island in name. A narrow creek which fills and empties with the incoming and outgoing tides divides it from the mainland. A bridge spans this chas...
7. CHAPTER VII.--THE FIRE.If you have ever heard a fire bell boom out in the stillness, you will remember the terror which clutched your heart at the first ominous peal. It seemed to Billie, in going ove...
8. CHAPTER VIII.--NANCY'S HOME.Nancy's home was a favorite meeting place of the four friends. There was something very inviting about the old red brick house, with its low-ceiled, cheerful rooms and deep-sill...
9. CHAPTER IX.--AT THE SIGN OF THE BLUE TEA POT.Mary and her mother lived in a pretty old house facing the public square, and it was fortunate that Mrs. Price's old home was so located. In order to support herself and her lit...
10. CHAPTER X.--RUMORS AT SCHOOL.West Haven High School, Miss Gray, the Principal, had often said, had all the merits of a public and private school combined. It was more thorough than a private school and the...
11. CHAPTER XI.--SEVEN LEAGUE ISLAND."Pile in any old way and make yourselves as comfy as you can," said Billie, from the chauffeur's seat, while seven boys and girls packed themselves into "The Comet" as tightly a...
12. CHAPTER XII.--THE STORM."Billie, can you put on new tires?" demanded Ben, somewhat anxiously, making a mental determination to learn all about the mechanism of motor cars before he went on another moto...
13. CHAPTER XIII.--WHEELS WITHIN WHEELS.Never since she had been Principal of West Haven High School had Miss Gray been so upset as she was now. For the first time a scandal was connected with her beloved institution....
14. CHAPTER XIV.--THE HALLOWE'EN HOUSE PARTY.Do you think your nice young charge would be bored by a visit to our lonely old home in the country? Percival has set his heart on giving a Hallowe'en house party for some of hi...
15. CHAPTER XV.--THE GHOST PARTY."I don't see how you can play any gruesome Hallowe'en tricks in this house, Mrs. St. Clair," said Billie later at the dinner table. "It's the abode of cheerfulness. Look at this...
16. CHAPTER XVI.--A STRAY GHOST.When the front door closed after the departing merry-makers and the sound of the last wheels died away down the avenue, the guests of the house party filed slowly up to bed. Mrs...
17. CHAPTER XVII.--MRS. RUGGLES.Breakfast was late next morning, and there were some heavy eyes at the pretty table. Belle was pale and nervous, and Mary, too, wore an anxious look on her face. Even the plump...
18. CHAPTER XVIII.--FANNIE ALTA.First she summoned to her aid the old colored butler, who had been with her many years, and together they searched every part of the house where she had been the night before. T...
19. CHAPTER XIX.--MARY BEFORE HER JUDGES.It was late when the young people returned from Mrs. Ruggles'. They were in gay spirits and Mrs. St. Clair could hear them talking and laughing in the hall, first the motorists...
20. CHAPTER XX.--MISS CAMPBELL WEARS BLACK.Mary went straight to her room that night and packed her bag. When Billie came up a little later she found her kneeling beside her bed, her face hidden in her hands. It seemed t...
21. CHAPTER XXI.--THE MISSING LINK.Mr. Bangs made three calls on that memorable Monday. The first was to Billie, as you already surmise. If he recognized the strong undercurrent which connected the strange advent...
22. CHAPTER XXII.--THE REFUGEES.A ship had sailed into the little harbor of West Haven on Monday morning. She carried a load of lumber from down the coast and after showing her clearance papers and discharging...
23. CHAPTER XXIII.--BELLE'S CONFESSION."I suppose," began Belle, "it would be almost impossible for you to believe that a well brought up girl of decent family could be as wicked as I have been. When I finally realiz...
24. CHAPTER XXIV.--OUT OF THE MISTS.The Motor Maids were gathered in Mrs. Brown's sunny parlor around a cheerful driftwood fire. You may easily guess it was Saturday morning, because Nancy was darning stockings, E...