E-text prepared by Mary Glenn Krause, Sue Clark, SueM, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustration. See 59601-h.htm or 59601-h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/59601/59601-h/59601-h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/59601/59601-h.zip) The Bluebird Books Mary Louise Stands the Test [Illustration: Josie and Mary Louise.] MARY LOUISE STANDS THE TEST 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,” “Mary Louise at Dorfield.” [Illustration] Frontispiece by Harry W. Armstrong The Reilly & Lee Co. Chicago Copyright 1921 by The Reilly & Lee Co. All Rights Reserved Made in U. S. A. Mary Louise Stands the Test CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I A SMALL CLOUD 7 II AT THE HIGGLEDY PIGGLEDY SHOP 19 III JOSIE INTERVENES 31 IV MARY LOUISE--MILLINER 41 V DANNY IS DRIVEN FROM HOME 49 VI THE DOCTOR CALLS 62 VII A WIRELESS MESSAGE 76 VIII THE PASSING OF THE COLONEL 88 IX MARY LOUISE TOUCHES BOTTOM 100 X A CONFERENCE OF FRIENDS 110 XI PLANS FOR THE FUTURE 119 XII MARY LOUISE MOVES 132 XIII JOSIE VISITS CHIEF CHARLEY 141 XIV AN UNKNOWN ITALIAN 148 XV THE TREATING TRYSTERS 158 XVI A TENANT FROM THE WEST 171 XVII A MYSTERIOUS MESSAGE 178 XVIII CLOSED FOR REPAIRS 184 XIX A MIDNIGHT CALLER 193 XX SLATER MAKES AN ARREST 202 XXI FORTUNE SMILES AND FROWNS 214 Mary Louise Stands the Test CHAPTER I A SMALL CLOUD