Family -- Juvenile fiction; Young women -- Juvenile fiction
In meeting Rosabel Glen the girls from Dalton were both conscious of
making the acquaintance of a society girl, one who though still in her
teens, knew exactly what to say to be polite, and precisely what to do
to show off to the very best possible advantage. She had called at the
Cedars in the afternoon and remained just fifteen minutes, which time
Mrs. White informed the girls after her departure was the social limit
for a first call.
"But we were talking of something that could not possibly be finished
in that time," Dorothy had complained.
"All the better chance for Rosabel to show off her manners," said Mrs.
White with a laugh, for she had never agreed that young girls should
enter society on stilts.
But the evening was different, informal and almost jolly. (The "almost"
belonged to Miss Rosabel while the "jolly" was looked after by Ned and
Nat, Dorothy and Tavia feeling like an appreciative audience.) All
sorts of topics were introduced by the unhappy boys, who never had a
good time when the Glens were present, but all resulted in the same
failure to make a general conversation of firmer consistency than
monosyllables.
"But you must come out to camp," said Nat in desperation. "We have the
jolliest quarters, on a high knoll, just off the lake front and not too
far from the hotel--a hotel is not bad to have around when a good blow
takes the roof off your head at midnight."
"Oh, my!" exclaimed Rosabel, "you do not mean to say that your tents
blow away in the night?"
"Not a bit particular as to time--night or day," went on the young man,
"so long as they get away. Last time Ned clung to the ropes and the
campers missed something for it was awfully dark."
"And you really were carried up by the force of the wind?" gasped the
polite girl.
"And let down by it," admitted Ned, "I have a souvenir yet," rubbing
his left arm.
"And girls camp!" gasped the one from the other cottage.
"Heaps of them. They're the best neighbors we've got. There's Camp Deb
(all debutants you know), and I tell you their social guardians know
how to fix them up for the season. They make a fellow think of the way
fowls are treated before holiday time?"
"Oh," almost shrieked Rosabel, "Please don't!"
"But you ought to look into the treatment. I tell you those girls are
beauts. They get fun, exercise, fresh air and have the last good time
they ever expect to have in this world. Poor dears, they must all be
engaged next season, you know."
Dorothy and Tavia were enjoying this, Rosabel had seemed to forget
their presence, she at once became so absorbed in the society talk.
"I would like to visit camp," she ventured.
"Come along then," said Nat good naturedly, "Our girls are coming out
to-morrow."
Tavia gave a significant sigh. Who could have any fun "with that
door-bell floral piece tagging on," she thought.
Mrs. Glen was appealed to and it was finally arranged that she, Mrs.
White, and the younger set should go on the following afternoon to
visit Camp Hard Tack.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account