Produced by Mary Glenn Krause, The Library of Congress and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) The Bluebird Books Mary Louise At Dorfield [Illustration: “A pretty snug place,” said Felix.] Mary Louise At Dorfield By Edith Van Dyne Author of “Mary Louise,” “Mary Louise in the Country,” “Mary Louise Solves a Mystery,” “Mary Louise and the Liberty Girls,” “Mary Louise Adopts a Soldier.” Frontispiece by Maude Martin Evers [Illustration] The Reilly & Lee Co. Chicago Copyright, 1920 by The Reilly & Lee Co. All Rights Reserved _Made in U. S. A._ _Mary Louise at Dorfield_ CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I THE SEWING BEE 7 II A ROSE AND A SONG 19 III MATRON OF HONOR 29 IV JOSIE O’GORMAN 36 V THE WRIGHT FAMILY 49 VI THE HIGGLEDY-PIGGLEDY SHOP 58 VII THE CAPTAIN OF HER SOUL 70 VIII THE ORCHID BROOCH 84 IX THE BOOK OF CRIMINALS 96 X CHIEF CHARLEY LONSDALE 106 XI A SKELETON KEY 115 XII BILLY MAKES A CALL 123 XIII BUSINESS COMING ON 132 XIV ANOTHER CLUE 144 XV SIMPKINS & MARKLE 157 XVI A DINNER PARTY 169 XVII ANOTHER VISIT TO THE CHIEF 179 XVIII BOB DULANEY RETURNS THE NOTEBOOK 187 XIX THE WEDDING 195 XX THE RIDE TO SOMERVILLE 205 XXI THE SURPRISING STRENGTH OF AUNTIE 215 Mary Louise At Dorfield CHAPTER I THE SEWING BEE Dorfield was trying to settle down into its prewar quiet, but no matter how conservative and sleepy a town has been, when once it is shaken up with war activities it finds it difficult to go to sleep again. It may pull the bedclothes over its head and bury its ears in the downy pillows of memories of what it used to be but the echoes of marching troops, shouting crowds, martial music, newsboys crying extras, powder mills and so forth will reach it no matter how soft the pillows or thick the bedclothes.