E-text prepared by Roger Frank and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.fadedpage.net) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustration. See 32401-h.htm or 32401-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/32401/pg32401-images.html) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/files/32401/32401-h.zip) THE GIRLS OF HILLCREST FARM Or The Secret of the Rocks by AMY BELL MARLOWE Author of The Oldest of Four, A Little Miss Nobody, The Girl from Sunset Ranch, Etc. [Illustration: LUCAS TORE DOWN THE BANK AND WADED RIGHT INTO THE STREAM. Frontispiece (Page 61.)] New York Grosset & Dunlap Publishers Made in the United States of America Copyright, 1914, by Grosset & Dunlap _The Girls of Hillcrest Farm_ CONTENTS Chapter Page I. EVERYTHING AT ONCE! 1 II. AUNT JANE PROPOSES 10 III. THE DOCTOR DISPOSES 24 IV. THE PILGRIMAGE 37 V. LUCAS PRITCHETT 51 VI. NEIGHBORS 61 VII. HILLCREST 73 VIII. THE WHISPER IN THE DARK 85 IX. MORNING AT HILLCREST 96 X. THE VENTURE 109 XI. AT THE SCHOOLHOUSE 126 XII. THE GREEN-EYED MONSTER 134 XIII. LYDDY DOESN'T WANT IT 144 XIV. THE COLESWORTHS 161 XV. ANOTHER BOARDER 171 XVI. THE BALL KEEPS ROLLING 184 XVII. THE RUNAWAY GRANDMOTHER 192 XVIII. THE QUEER BOARDER 199 XIX. WIDOW HARRISON'S TROUBLES 208 XX. THE TEMPERANCE CLUB AGAIN 216 XXI. CAUGHT 224 XXII. THE HIDDEN TREASURE 236 XXIII. THE VENDUE 248 XXIV. PROFESSOR SPINK'S BOTTLES 258 XXV. IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE 269 XXVI. A BLOW-UP 276 XXVII. THEY LOSE A BOARDER 283 XXVIII. THE SECRET REVEALED 289 XXIX. AN AUTOMOBILE RACE 298 XXX. THE HILLCREST COMPANY, LIMITED 303 THE GIRLS OF HILLCREST FARM CHAPTER I EVERYTHING AT ONCE!