Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. DOROTHY DALE A GIRL OF TO-DAY BY MARGARET PENROSE AUTHOR OF "DOROTHY DALE AT GLENWOOD SCHOOL," ETC ILLUSTRATED THE DOROTHY DALE SERIES BY MARGARET PENROSE DOROTHY DALE: A GIRL OF TO-DAY DOROTHY DALE AT GLENWOOD SCHOOL (Other volumes in preparation) CONTENTS CHAPTER I. DOROTHY II. DOROTHY AT THE OFFICE III. A STRANGE ADVENTURE IV. A CLEW V. MILES BURLOCK VI. AT THE SWING VII. WHAT HAPPENED IN THE ORCHARD VIII. SQUIRE SANDERS AT SCHOOL IX. THE AFTERMATH X. APPLE BLOSSOM MAGIC XI. A SOLDIER'S DAUGHTER XII. AN UNPROVOKED ATTACK XIII. A QUEER PICNIC XIV. THE SECRET XV. DOROTHY IN POLITICS XVI. THE GIRLS HAVE IT XVII. A GIRL'S WEAPON XVIII. DOROTHY IN DANGER XIX. A SURPRISE TRIP XX. AN EVENTFUL JOURNEY XXI. AT AUNT WINNIE'S XXII. THE PRICE OF TAVIA'S TRESSES XXIII. IN SOCIAL ELEMENTS XXIV. THE PAINTED FACE XXV. AN EMERGENCY CASE XXVI. DOROTHY'S COURAGE XXVII. THE LITTLE CAPTAIN--CONCLUSION CHAPTER I DOROTHY The day of days had come at last: Dorothy would be the Daughter of the Regiment. "Lucky you don't have to curl your hair, Doro, for the fog is like rain, and that's the worst kind for made curls," said Tavia. "Oh, I do hope it is not going to rain!" "No, it surely won't. But come, don't let's be late." "There's heaps of time, Tavia. Oh, just see Briggs' new flag! Isn't it glorious?" cried Dorothy Dale. "Not half as glorious as your old Betsy Ross. I'd be too proud to march if I had a real, truly Betsy. I think, anyway, it's prettier with the star of stars than with the regular daisy field of them," and Tavia tied her scarf just once more, that being the fourth time she had smoothed it out and knotted it over. "I think red, white and blue look lovely over a white dress," commented Dorothy. "Your scarf is perfect." "But you are like a live Columbia," insisted Tavia. "No one could look as pretty as you," and her companion fairly beamed with admiration. "Come now, gather up the stuffs. Button your cloak all the way down, for we don't want folks to see how we're dressed," and Dorothy made sure that her own water-proof covered her skirts to the very edge. It was Decoration Day, and the girls were to take part in the Veterans' procession. Dorothy was the only daughter of Major Frank Dale, one of the prominent veterans of Dalton, a small town in New York state. Dorothy was in her fourteenth year, but since her mother was dead, and she was the eldest of the small family (the other members being Joe, age ten, and Roger just seven), she seemed older, and was really very sensible for her years. The major always called her his Little Captain, and she showed such a practical interest in his business, that of running the only newspaper in Dalton, The Bugle, that few, if any boys could have made better partners in the work.