The Outdoor Girls #1-8

#1 The Outdoor Girls of Deepdale
       Or, Camping and Tramping for Fun and Health
Betty Nelson, Mollie Billette, Grace Ford, and Amy Stonington form a Camping and Tramping Club and make plans for a hiking trip.  While discussing their plans, Betty finds a five hundred dollar bill near a railroad line.  The girls place the bill in a safe until they can locate the owner.

As the girls plan their trip, two jealous girls, Alice Jallow and Kittie Rossmore, strike out at Amy in retaliation for not being included in the club.  Alice spreads rumors that Amy has been adopted and does not know her true parentage.  The girls are furious, but much to their surprise, Amy reveals that Alice's accusation is true.

The Outdoor Girls of Deepdale
Betty, Mollie, and Grace insist that it makes no difference to them who Amy is.  In spite of Amy's problems, the four girls depart on their camping and tramping trip in high spirits.  The trip is a huge success, and near the end of the trip, the girls discover the owner of the five hundred dollar bill.
#2 The Outdoor Girls at Rainbow Lake
       Or, The Stirring Cruise of the Motor Boat Gem
Grace Ford is thrown from her brother's horse, Prince, as she returns home with some important papers.  The horse—and the papers—disappear!  Even worse, Mollie's sister, Dodo, is trampled by the horse and may be permanently crippled.  Mollie's family agonizes over Dodo while Grace's family worries about the lost papers.

In the meantime, Betty Nelson's uncle gives Betty a boat, the Gem as a present.  Betty and the other girls excitedly plan a cruise in the Gem.  The destination is Rainbow Lake, where the girls enter a boat race and share several exciting adventures.

The Outdoor Girls at Rainbow Lake
It is near the end of the girls' vacation that they unexpectedly discover what happened to Prince and the missing papers.  Soon, Mollie receives the good news that Dodo will make a full recovery, and the Outdoor Girls return home happily.
#3 The Outdoor Girls in a Motor Car
       Or, The Haunted Mansion of Shadow Valley
As the Outdoor Girls ride in Mollie Billette's new car, Mollie nearly hits a girl who falls out of a tree, unconscious.  The injured girl is taken to a nearby house but disappears before the doctor arrives.  Mystified, the girls wonder who she is and why she ran away from them.

Mr. Lagg, the storekeeper, visits the girls and asks them to investigate a haunted mansion which he now owns.  The girls take on the task reluctantly, as they are not very eager to stay in a haunted house.  The girls travel to Shadow Valley and enter the house.  Shortly after their arrival, a crazed old man appears and kidnaps Mollie!

The Outdoor Girls in a Motor Car
With the help of Mr. Blackford, who just happens to be driving by, the girls rescue Mollie and discover the house's secret.  They also locate the injured girl who had run away and help her to escape from her captor.
#4 The Outdoor Girls in a Winter Camp
       Or, Glorious Days on Skates and Ice Boats
Mr. Ford must have someone stay at his lumber camp in the North Woods in order to prevent the theft of lumber.  It is decided that Grace and her friends will stay in the camp until Mr. Ford is able to travel north.  Complications develop when Alice Jallow's family claims to own some of the Ford land. 

Upon the girls' arrival, they discover that Alice and her family are staying on the adjoining Jallow property and have placed a guard on the disputed land.  This development is most unpleasant for Amy, who has repeatedly been the victim of Alice's unkind remarks about her past.

The Outdoor Girls in a Winter Camp
Mr. Ford can prove his claim if only he can locate an old lumberman, Paddy Malone.  Mr. Blackford comes to visit the young people at the lumber camp, and reports his failure at locating his lost sister.  In time, Paddy Malone is found; the land dispute is satisfactorily settled; and best of all, Amy learns that she is Mr. Blackford's sister.
#5 The Outdoor Girls in Florida
       Or, Wintering in the Sunny South
After a foolish prank, Will Ford is sent away to work in his uncle's cotton mill in the south.  After growing weary of his uncle's harsh treatment, Will runs away.  Grace and her parents are frantic with worry, as Will has not communicated with them and has not returned home.

Amy Blackford plans to journey to Florida with Mr. and Mrs. Stonington so that Mrs. Stonington can regain her health.  Amy invites the other girls, and Betty and Mollie eagerly agree to make the trip.  Grace is reluctant until a communication arrives from Will indicating that he is seeking his fortune in Florida.  Grace and the other girls depart in high hopes of finding Will.

The Outdoor Girls in Florida
The girls are able to use Betty's boat in their search for Will, since Betty had it shipped to Florida.  The girls share a long and fruitless search, which has its share of danger.  Finally, Will is located and returns home to Deepdale.
#6 The Outdoor Girls at Ocean View
       Or, The Box That Was Found in the Sand
The Outdoor Girls and their friends vacation at Ocean View with Betty Nelson and her mother.  After Amy Blackford learns that pirates sailed the waters near Ocean View, she becomes obsessed with the idea of finding pirate treasure.  Amy is delighted when the girls dig up an old box that is buried on the beach.

The box does indeed contain treasure—a fortune in diamonds!  The box also contains a queer cipher, which the young people immediately attempt to decode.  Their efforts prove fruitless, and they wonder whether the diamonds were smuggled into the country.

The Outdoor Girls at Ocean View
Whoever buried the diamonds somehow learns who found them, and the young people are awakened by intruders.  Will, who recently joined the Secret Service, alerts the government, and after several harrowing experiences, the smugglers are brought to justice.
#7 The Outdoor Girls on Pine Island
       Or, A Cave and What It Contained
The Outdoor Girls plan to stay on Pine Island for the summer in a bungalow owned by Mollie Billette's aunt.  Before the girls leave, thieves loot the town of Deepdale, stealing valuable family heirlooms from many people.  Mollie is especially heartsick after her family's silver tea service is stolen.  The authorities suspect a band of gypsies who recently left the area.

Soon after the young people arrive on Pine Island, they spot a band of gypsies entering a cave with bundles.  The gypsies leave the bundles in the cave and then sail away from the island.  The young people decide to wait before exploring the cave since it is dusk.

The Outdoor Girls on Pine Island
Sadly, the young people cannot locate the cave the next day.  Finally, after a long search, they find it and excitedly survey the gypsies' loot.  Will notifies the Secret Service, and all of the stolen items are recovered.
#8 The Outdoor Girls in Army Service
       Or, Doing Their Bit for the Soldier Boys
The Outdoor Girls do what they can for the young men fighting in the war in Europe.  They work hard knitting sweaters and other necessary items.  The girls are both proud and frightened when Allen, Frank, and Roy volunteer for the military.  Grace is embarrassed and worried when her brother Will says nothing about volunteering and acts strange for weeks.

The girls feel like they aren't doing enough for the war effort, so they decide to join the Red Cross.  The girls raise money to benefit the Red Cross and the Y.W.C.A.  The girls are much gratified when their efforts inspire others to begin raising money for the war effort.

The Outdoor Girls in Army Service
In time, Grace learns that Will has volunteered and only waited because he had unfinished business with the Secret Service.  Soon, the boys depart for training, leaving the girls feeling lonely and despondent.  However, the girls travel to the Hostess House near Camp Liberty and are able to see the boys while they complete their training.
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