The Mystery of the Fires

Mary Louise was not far away from Shady Nook in the matter of miles, but she felt as if she were worlds away. Everything was strangely different from anything she had ever known...

"Yes," replied Mary Louise Gay. "You see, we never could invite you before, because the bungalow is so small, and there's just room enough for our own family. But Dad will be ou...

While her parents and her friends at Shady Nook were imagining all sorts of horrors for Mary Louise, the day actually passed peacefully for her. It was a terrible shock to waken...

"No, thanks, Jane," returned her chum. "We're getting along fine. I would like to have you pull a load of dishes over to the Ditmars' for me, Freckles," she added, turning to he...

When the girls came home from the fire that night they found Mrs. Gay and Freckles both awake and dressed. The boy was pleading with his mother to be allowed to go to the Smiths'.

Everybody at Shady Nook worked all day Monday on the decorations for the boats. Everybody, that is, except Mr. and Mrs. Flick and a few of the older people, who were preparing t...

Like her daughter, Mrs. Gay did not go to sleep until dawn of the following morning. Her mental torture was even keener than Mary Louise's, for her imagination suggested all sor...

Jane Patterson finished her tennis match and came back across the river in a canoe belonging to one of the boys, just as Mary Louise had suggested. Although she had hoped that h...

Her supposition proved correct: no sooner had the Gays returned to their own bungalow after supper than a motorboat chugged its way across the river and anchored at their dock....

No one was at home when Mary Louise returned from her visit to the store at Four Corners. What a splendid chance it was to write to Clifford Hunter to tell him about Tom Adams'...

"Sue Reed told me. She says they used to come to Flicks' every summer for two weeks' vacation. So instead they are staying one week at the Royal Hotel. I don't know their names."

Jane went off early after lunch in Cliff Hunter's canoe, and Mary Louise sat on the porch waiting for David McCall. She was still angry at him for the way he had accused Cliff t...

"I told Mother we girls would take every other day at the housekeeping," said Mary Louise as she backed the car out of the garage and onto the road behind the cottages. "That wi...

"I'm not blaming _you_, Freckles--you weren't even here. But I'm not so sure about those Smith boys. They are pretty wild, once they get started. Remember the time they locked t...

The following morning Mrs. Gay relented from her decision to pack up the family's things and go home immediately. It was such a perfect day; the river sparkled beautifully in th...

"What in the world are you doing?" asked Jane when she came out on the porch the following morning to find her chum studiously poring over a notebook. "You must think school has...

In another second the girl had flown up the steps and was hugging both parents at once. Mrs. Gay could only gasp in her happiness. It was Mr. Gay who asked his daughter whether...

Jane raised her eyebrows. She couldn't remember expressing any such desire. But she said nothing: she wanted to see what Mary Louise was up to now. For her chum must have some p...

Mary Louise was putting the last dabs of powder on her nose when she heard a car stop at the porch steps. Peering through the screened window of her bedroom she immediately deci...