Part 2 (1/2)

”So you could soar into the circ.u.mambient ether and leave all mundane things below?” queried Jess Morse, with a chuckle.

”No,” said Bobby, in disgust. ”So I wouldn't have a toothache. I was up with one of my old grinders half the night.”

”Have it pulled,” suggested Laura.

”Say!” cried Bobby. ”That's the easiest thing in the world to say and the hardest to do. And you know it, Mother Wit! You can have an old toothache that will make you feel like committing suicide; and when you get to the dentist shop you wish you _had_ committed suicide before you got there,” and jolly little Bobby began to grin again.

”Suicide is a serious matter,” said Nellie, gravely.

”Surely, surely,” the cut-up replied, dropping her voice to a gruesome pitch. ”Listen!

”'Beside a sewer a man lay dead, A dagger in his side; The coroner's decision read: ”He died of suicide.”

'Now if this man at home in bed, Had in this manner died, Then could the coroner have said: ”He died of homicide”?'

”Never joke about serious things, Nell.”

”Hush, Bobby!” commanded Laura Belding. ”Tell us, do, if your father has agreed to let us go camping on Acorn Island?”

”Of course,” replied the younger girl. ”And he says there is a cabin there that can be made tight for ten dollars. It's all right to camp under canvas; but if a big storm should come up he says we'd be glad of that cabin.”

”Great!” announced Jess Morse.

”The cabin shall be your mother's particular shelter,” said Laura.

”Eh, girls?”

”If she is kind enough to go with us,” said Nellie, ”she should have the very best of everything.”

”She can have _my_ share of the wood ants and red spiders,” chuckled Bobby. ”But it's all right, girls. Father Tom says we can have the island to ourselves. And believe me: this bunch of girls of Central High will sure have a good time!”

Which was a prophecy likely to be fulfilled, if the past adventures of these same girls were any criterion of the future.

For more than a year now the girls of Central High, together with those of the other two high schools of Centerport and the high schools of Lumberport and Keyport--all five--had been deeply interested in the Girls' Branch League athletics. In following the various games and exercises approved by their instructor, Mrs. Case these six girls introduced above, had engaged in many and varied enterprises and adventures.

In ”The Girls of Central High; Or, Rivals for All Honors,” the first volume of this series, Laura Belding (”Mother Wit”) was enabled to interest one of the wealthiest men of Centerport in girls' athletics so that he gave a large sum toward the preparation of a handsome athletic field and gymnasium for Central High.

The second volume is ent.i.tled: ”The Girls of Central High on Lake Luna,” and the third is ”The Girls of Central High at Basket Ball”--the t.i.tles of which tell their own story.

”The Girls of Central High on the Stage,” the fourth volume, tells of the writing and first production by her mates of Jess Morse's successful play, while the fifth of the series is ent.i.tled: ”The Girls of Central High on Track and Field; Or, Champions of the School League.”

Laura, Jess, Nellie, the Lockwood Twins and Bobby were girls of dissimilar characters (that is, if we count Dora and Dorothy as ”one and indivisible” like the Union of the States). Laura's brother Chetwood, his chum, Lance Darby, Billy Long, and some of the other Central High boys were usually entangled in the girls'

adventures--sufficiently to give spice to the incidents.

So, all considered, it was only reasonable that the girls should have eagerly agreed upon the site of their summer camp--Acorn Island. They knew that the boys would probably have their own camp on one sh.o.r.e or the other of the lake, and within sight of the island.

Chet, who seldom failed to walk home with Jess and carry her books--unless the gymnasium called the girls after the school session--and Lance, who filled like office of faithful squire to Laura, joined the girl chums on this afternoon.

”Got it all planned, have you?” Chet said. ”I hear Acorn Island is going to be overrun with a gang of female Indians right after graduation.”

”We have got to go up there to keep watch of you boys,” laughed his sister. ”But it's nice of Bobby's father to let us camp there.”