The Outdoor Girls at Ocean View; Or, The Box That Was Found in the Sand Read online

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  The Outdoor Girls At Ocean View

  OR

  THE BOX THAT WAS FOUND IN THE SAND

  BY LAURA LEE HOPE

  AUTHOR OF "THE OUTDOOR GIRLS OF DEEPDALE," "THE MOVING PICTURE GIRLS,""THE BOBBSEY TWINS," ETC.

  _ILLUSTRATED_

  NEW YORK GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS

  BOOKS FOR GIRLS

  BY LAURA LEE HOPE

  * * * * *

  12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. Price per volume.

  50 cents, postpaid.

  =THE OUTDOOR GIRLS SERIES=

  THE OUTDOOR GIRLS OF DEEPDALE THE OUTDOOR GIRLS AT RAINBOW LAKE THE OUTDOOR GIRLS IN A MOTOR CAR THE OUTDOOR GIRLS IN A WINTER CAMP THE OUTDOOR GIRLS IN FLORIDA THE OUTDOOR GIRLS AT OCEAN VIEW

  =THE MOVING PICTURE GIRLS SERIES=

  THE MOVING PICTURE GIRLS AT OAK FARM THE MOVING PICTURE GIRLS SNOW BOUND THE MOVING PICTURE GIRLS UNDER THE PALMS THE MOVING PICTURE GIRLS AT ROCKY RANCH THE MOVING PICTURE GIRLS AT SEA

  =THE BOBBSEY TWINS SERIES=

  For Little Men and Women

  THE BOBBSEY TWINS THE BOBBSEY TWINS IN THE COUNTRY THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT THE SEASHORE THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT SCHOOL THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT SNOW LODGE THE BOBBSEY TWINS ON A HOUSEBOAT THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT MEADOWBROOK

  GROSSET & DUNLAP, PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK

  COPYRIGHT, 1915, BY

  GROSSET & DUNLAP.

  * * * * *

  THE OUTDOOR GIRLS AT OCEAN VIEW

  MOLLIE BROUGHT UP OUT OF THE HOLE A CURIOUS IRONBOX.--_Page 74._

  _The Outdoor Girls at Ocean View._]

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER PAGE

  I ANTICIPATIONS 1

  II INTERRUPTIONS 9

  III PREPARATIONS 17

  IV OFF FOR OCEAN VIEW 26

  V OLD TIN-BACK 36

  VI THE BOYS 44

  VII THE STORM 53

  VIII THE MEN IN THE BOAT 61

  IX THE BOX IN THE SAND 69

  X CONJECTURES 75

  XI THE CIPHER 81

  XII THE FALSE BOTTOM 89

  XIII THE DIAMOND TREASURE 95

  XIV SEEKING CLUES 101

  XV A NIGHT ALARM 109

  XVI ON THE BEACH 118

  XVII ANOTHER ALARM 126

  XVIII ANXIOUS DAYS 135

  XIX THE PICNIC 146

  XX CAUGHT 154

  XXI ON THE SCHOONER 163

  XXII THE SEARCH 172

  XXIII SMUGGLED DIAMONDS 181

  XXIV TO THE RESCUE 190

  XXV ALL'S WELL--CONCLUSION 199

  THE OUTDOOR GIRLS AT OCEAN VIEW

  CHAPTER I

  ANTICIPATIONS

  Three girls were strolling down the street, and, as on the occasion whenthe three fishermen once sailed out to sea, the sun was going down. Thegolden rays, slanting in from over the western hills that stood back ofthe little town of Deepdale, struck full in the faces of the maids asthey turned a corner, and so bright was the glare that one of them--atall, willowy lass, with a wealth of fluffy, light hair, turned asidewith a cry of annoyance.

  "Oh, why can't the sun be nice!" she exclaimed, half-petulantly.

  "What do you want it to do, Grace?" asked a vivacious, dark-complexionedsprite next to the complaining one. "Go under a cloud just to suit you?"

  "No, my dear, I'm not as fussy as that!"

  "Indeed not!" chimed in the third member of the trio, a quiet girl, withthoughtful eyes. "What Grace wants is some nice young fellow to comealong with an umbrella, hoist it over her, and invite her in to have--achocolate soda!"

  "Why, Amy Blackford! I'll never speak to you again!" gasped the accusedone, blushing vividly, the more so as the rays of the setting sun fellupon her face. "All I said was----"

  "Look!" suddenly interrupted the vivacious member of the small party--aparty that attracted no little attention, for at the sight of the threepretty girls, strolling arm in arm down the main thoroughfare of thetown, more than one person turned for a second look.

  "Gracious! What is it?" demanded Grace. "Did you see--some one, Billy?"

  "No--something," came the answer from the dark girl with the boyishname, and at a glance you could understand why she was called so. Therewas such a wholesome, frank and comrade-like quality about her, thoughshe was not at all masculine, that "Billy" just suited.

  "Look," she went on. "Isn't that a perfectly gorgeous display ofchocolates!" and she indicated the window of a confectionery store justin front of them.

  "Oh, I _must_ have some of those!" cried Grace Ford. "Come on in, girls!I'll treat. They're those new bitter-sweet chocolates. I didn't knowBorker kept them. I'm simply dying for some!" and with this ratherexaggerated statement she fairly pulled her two chums after her into thestore.

  "Look!" Grace went on, pausing a moment when inside the shop to glanceat the chocolate display in the show-window. "Did you ever see anythingso--so appetizing?"

  "It looks like a display at a picnic candy kitchen," murmured she whohad been called Billy.

  "Why, Mollie Billette!" reproached Grace Ford. "I think it's perfectlysplendid."

  "But not appetizing," declared Amy Blackford. "I don't see how you canthink of eating any, when it's so near dinner time, Grace."

  "We don't have dinner until seven, and it's only five. Besides, I'm notgoing to eat many--now."

  "No, she'll take a box home, and keep them in bed, under her pillow--Iknow her," put in Mollie, alias Billy. "I slept with her one night and Iwondered whether she had lumps of coal, or some kitchen kindling woodbetween the sheets. But it wasn't--it was chocolates! The box had workedout from under her pillow in the night and----"

  "Mollie Billette! You promised never to tell that!" pouted Grace. "Idon't care. They were hard chocolates, and didn't do any damage."

  "No, and they weren't damaged, either," laughed Mollie. "I know we satup eating them until your mother came in and made us go to sleep. Oh,Grace, you certainly are hopeless when it comes to chocolates!"

  A smiling clerk came up to wait on the girls, and while Grace waspointing out what she wanted, the two friends stood aside, talking inlow tones.

  "Where are you going this summer?" asked Mollie, of Amy.

  "I don't know. Henry isn't just sure what he will do--at least, hewasn't the last I talked with him about it. I suppose, though, I shallgo wherever Mr. and Mrs. Stonington go, and that is likely to be themountains, I heard them say. What are your plans, Mollie?"

  "About as unsettled as yours. I did want to go to the seashore, butmamma is _so_ afraid of the water for Paul and Dodo. Those childrennever seem to grow, and half my pleasure is spoiled giving way to them."

  "Oh, but they are such sweet dears!" protested Amy.

  "Yes, I know, but you
ought to live with them a year or so. Did I tellyou Paul's latest?"

  "I think not."

  "Well, he has a rocking-horse, you know, and the other day----"

  "Have some," interrupted Grace, thrusting her bag of chocolates betweenher two girl chums, and thus interrupting Mollie's story. "Don't youwant a soda? I've enough change left."

  "Soda? Indeed not!" cried Mollie. "And I don't want more than one or twocandies, either!" she went on, as she tried to prevent Grace fromgenerously emptying half the bag into her small, gloved hands.

  The three girls were laughing and--yes, truth compels me to say theywere giggling--when the door of the shop swung open, a girl entered andat the sight of the newcomer the three burst out with:

  "Betty!"

  "The Little Captain!"

  "Betty Nelson, where were you? We've been looking _all over_ for you!"

  "Yes, so I heard," was the calm response of the fourth girl, who swungin with a certain vigor and lithesomeness as though she had just comefrom a game of tennis or basketball. There was a wholesome air of goodhealth about her, a sparkle in her eyes, and a glow in her cheeks thattold of life in the open.

  "I saw you turn in here," she went on, "and I knew I had plenty of time,as long as I saw Grace with you, so I didn't hurry."

  "Oh, I haven't bought so much," declared Grace, with an injured air."Just because I want some chocolates now and then----"

  "Now--and--_then_!" mocked Betty Nelson, with a laugh. "Better say_now_--and--_always_. No, thank you," and with a shake of her head shedeclined some candy from the bag. "Just had lunch a little while ago.Mother and I ate on the train."

  "Where were you?" demanded Mollie. "At the house they said you were outof town, and we thought it strange, as you hadn't said anything aboutgoing away, especially as we so recently came back from Florida."

  "It was just a little trip, suddenly taken," Betty explained. "Motherand I went down to the shore to select our summer cottage."

  "And did you?" asked Mollie, with sparkling eyes.

  "We did, and, oh, it's such a darling place!"

  "Where?" came the question in a chorus.

  "At Ocean View, the prettiest place on the New England coast, I think.Of course it's small, and old fashioned, and all that, but----"

  "Oh, how I wish _we_ were going to some place like that!" exclaimedMollie.

  "So do I," chimed in Grace. "Father talks of Lake Champlain again, and Idetest it."

  "How about you, Amy?" asked the Little Captain, turning to the quietgirl.

  "I haven't heard where we are going."

  "Good!" cried Betty. "This is just what I expected. If you haven't anyplans, none will have to be--un-made. It makes it so much easier."

  "Makes what easier?" demanded Mollie.

  "My plan, my dear! Listen, I think it's just the loveliest idea. Motherand I looked at two cottages. One was almost too small, and the otherwas much too large, until I unfolded my plan to her. Then she saw thatit was just right."

  "Just right for what?" asked Grace.

  "Just right for all us girls to go there and spend the summer. Now don'tsay a word until you have heard it _all_!" cautioned Betty, as she sawsigns of protest on Amy's face. "You must agree with me--at least foronce."

  "As if she didn't always have her way!" remarked Mollie.

  "We four--the Outdoor Girls--are going to Ocean View for the summer!"went on Betty. "We'll have the loveliest, gayest times, for it's themost beautiful beach! And the cottage is a perfect dear--it's justcharming. Mother has agreed, so it's all settled. All that remains is totell your people, and we'll do that right away. Come on!" and leadingher friends forth from the candy-shop, Betty really seemed like somelittle captain marshaling her pretty forces.

  "The seashore!" repeated Amy. "Oh, I'm sure I should love it!"

  "Of course you would, dear!" exclaimed Betty. "And that's where you--andall of us--are going!"

  "Oh, but you are so _sure_!" exclaimed Mollie, in accented tones.

  "Oh, but you are so--Frenchy!" half-mocked Betty, with a laugh.

  "There! It is all settled! We will spend the Summer at Ocean View! Andnow come down to my house and we'll talk about it!"

  And, filled with delightful anticipations, the four girls strolled downthe sun-lit street.