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  She found Douglas sitting in a forlorn heap in their tent.

  (_Frontis_) (_The Carter Girls' Week-End Camp_)]

  THE CARTER GIRLS' WEEK-END CAMP

  By NELL SPEED

  AUTHOR OF "The Molly Brown Series," "The Tucker Twins Series," etc.

  A. L. BURT COMPANY Publishers New York Printed in U. S. A.

  Copyright, 1918, By HURST & COMPANY

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER PAGE I. A LETTER 5 II. THE RETURN 12 III. THE PROBLEM 30 IV. ROBERT CARTER'S ASTONISHING GIRLS 48 V. THE TUCKERS 66 VI. POST-PRANDIAL CONVERSATIONS 78 VII. THE STORM 97 VIII. THE DAMAGE DONE 115 IX. MR. MACHIAVELLI TUCKER 126 X. MR. HIRAM G. PARKER 142 XI. THE BIRD 165 XII. PLEASE REMIT 185 XIII. TEAKETTLE 194 XIV. THE FORAGERS 212 XV. BABES IN THE WOOD 232 XVI. TOM TIT 252 XVII. THE SPRING-KEEPER 269 XVIII. MORE FINDS 278 XIX. A DISCUSSION 286 XX. DR. WRIGHT TO THE RESCUE 298 XXI. LETTERS 311

  The Carter Girls' Week-End Camp

  CHAPTER I

  A LETTER

  From Douglas Carter to her mother, Mrs. Robert Carter

  GREENDALE, VA., AUGUST --, 19--.

  MY DARLING MOTHER:

  Words cannot express the joy and gratitude all of us feel that father isreally getting well. I shall never forget the miserable time last springwhen Dr. Wright came into the library where Helen and Nan and Lucy and Iwere sitting and told us of his very serious condition. I had felt hewas in a very bad way but did not realize it was quite so dreadful. I amsure you did not, either. And when Dr. Wright said that you must takehim on a long sea voyage and we understood that we were to be leftbehind, the bottom seemed to drop out of the universe.

  And now, dear mother, I have a confession to make: You took for grantedwe were going to the springs when we wrote we were to spend the summerin the mountains, and we thought with all the worry you had aboutfather, perhaps it was best to let you go on thinking it. Of course youdid not dream of the necessity of our doing anything to make money asfather had never told you much about his finances. Well, mother dear,there was about $80 in the bank in father's private account. Fortunatelyfor the business, which Mr. Lane and Dick have carried on to the best oftheir ability, there was some more in another account, but we havemanaged without touching that. I hope I am not going to shock younow, but you shall have to know it--we have rented our lovely home,furnished, for six months with privilege of a year, and we have sold thecar, dismissed the servants--all but Susan and Oscar, who are up hereat Greendale with us. This is what might shock you: We are running aweek-end boarding camp here in the mountains and the really shockingpart of it is--we are making money!

  It was a scheme that popped into Helen's head and it seemed such anexcellent one that we fell to it, and with dear Cousin Lizzie Somervillechaperoning us and Lewis Somerville protecting us, we have opened ourcamp and actually would have to turn away boarders except that the boysare always willing to sleep out-of-doors and that makes room for othersnot so inclined.

  We see Dr. Wright quite often. He comes up for the Sunday in his carwhenever he can spare the time. He has been kindness itself and hashelped us over many rough places. There have been times when we havebeen downhearted and depressed over you and father, and then it has beenhis office to step in and reassure us that father was really gettingbetter. He and Bobby are sworn friends and there is nothing Bobby willnot do for him--even keep himself clean.

  We are well. Indeed, the mountain air has done wonders for all of us.Helen is working harder than any of us, but is the picture of health inspite of it. Nan is more robust than she has ever been in her life.I think the tendency she has always had to bronchitis has entirelydisappeared. Dr. Wright says it is sleeping out-of-doors that has fixedher. Lucy has grown two inches, I do believe. She has been very sweetand helpful and as happy as the day is long with her chum Lil Tate herefor the whole summer. Mrs. Tate brought her up for a week-end and thechild has been with us now for over two months. We have two boys offifteen who are here for the summer, too, Frank Maury and SkeeterHalsey. They are a great comfort to me as I feel sure Lucy and Lil willbe taken care of by these nice boys.

  Of course, the original idea of our camp was to have only week-endboarders, but we find it very nice to have some steadies besides asthat means a certain fixed amount of money, but I am not going to letyou worry your pretty head about money. We have a perennial guest,also--none other than pretty, silly Tillie Wingo. She came to theopening week-end and proved herself to be such a drawing card for themale sex that we decided it would be good business to ask her to visitus indefinitely. It was Nan's idea. You know Tillie well enough tounderstand that she is always thoroughly good-natured and kind withoutbeing helpful in any way. All she has to do is look pretty and chatterand giggle. Of course she must dance, and she does that divinely. She isa kind of social entertainer, and the number of youths who swarm toWeek-End Camp because of her would astonish you. She is certainly worthher keep. Here I am touching on finances again when I did not mean to atall.

  We are so happy at the thought of having you and father with us for therest of the summer. Dr. Wright thinks the life here will be almost asgood for father as that on shipboard, provided the week-enders do notmake too much racket for him. If they do, we are to have a tent pitchedfor him out of ear-shot. Poor Cousin Lizzie Somerville is very happyover your coming because it will release her. Her duties as chaperonehave not been very strenuous, but the life up here has been so differentfrom anything she has ever had before that it has been hard on her, Iknow, harder than she has ever divulged, I am sure. Now she can go toher beloved springs and play as many games of cards as she chooses.

  Dr. Wright says it would be better for you not to go to Richmond at allbefore coming here, as father might want to go to work again, and it isvery important for him to be kept from it for many months yet. He is tomeet you in New York and bring you straight to Greendale. I can go downto Richmond with you after we get father settled here, and we can getwhat clothes you want for the mountains. We have everything in the wayof clothes stored at Cousin Lizzie Somerville's.

  It is very lovely here at Greendale, and I do hope you and father willlike it as much as we have. Dr. Wright will tell you more about it whenhe meets you in New York on Wednesday. I am sending this letter by himas it seems safer than to trust to Uncle Sam.

  We only hope the life up here will not be too rough for you. We will doall we can to smooth it for you; but a camp is a camp, you know, dearmother. Our best love to father.

  Your loving daughter, DOUGLAS.