The Camp Fire Girls in the Outside WorldVandercook, Margaret
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The Camp Fire Girls in the Outside World
Vandercook, Margaret
Camp Fire Girls -- Juvenile fiction
"So you have made up your mind to be
a lawyer yourself some day." Betty sighed
with satisfaction. How very like a book
his confession sounded! She wanted to
get more information from her visitor and
yet at the same time longed to rush upstairs
and commence a letter to Polly O'Neill at
once. Wouldn't Polly be interested? For
she had predicted on the day of their first
meeting that the young man would either
turn out to be absolutely no good, or else
(and here Betty blushed, recalling the
prophecy) "Remain your faithful knight to
the end of the chapter."
"But why did you come back to Woodford
if this Mr. Andrews was befriending
you and giving you a chance?" she
inquired, fearing that her illusion might now
be shattered.
The young man did not reply at once.
And he scowled until Betty had an uncomfortable
recollection of the expression which
she had seen on his face the day of his
attack upon Polly and her.
Then after moving a few steps nearer the
fire so that he and the girl were once more
facing each other, Betty could see that
his scowl had been due to embarrassment
and not anger.
"You are awfully good to be willing to
listen to so long a tale of a ne'er-do-well,"
he returned. "I came back to
Woodford because I was determined to
make good in my own town. A fellow that
can't trust himself in the face of
temptations isn't worth being trusted. I'm going
back to Mr. Andrews later, perhaps, but
this winter I am to stick right here in
Woodford and live down my bad name if
I can. Judge Maynard says he will give
me the same kind of a chance that
Mr. Andrews did, if I am worth it. And I
shall be able to see Nan and the others now
and then. It didn't seem fair for me to be
leaving all the family troubles to a girl."
Involuntarily Betty clapped her hands.
She had not intended to express her
emotion openly, but so pleased was she with
Anthony's reply that she couldn't help it.
The next moment she felt a little ashamed
of her enthusiasm.
"Oh, Nan is equal to almost anything;
we consider her the greatest success in our
Camp Fire club," Betty protested. "Nan
is studying domestic science at the High
School and intends teaching it some day,
so she will make you awfully comfortable
at home."
The young man put out his hand.
"Good-bye," he said. "I never dreamed
I would be brave enough to ask you to
shake hands with me for a good many
years yet. But since you have been kind
enough----"
"To ask you ten thousand questions,"
Betty laughed, rising and putting out
both hands with a friendly gesture, and
then moving toward the door with her
caller.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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