can. I'm sure it wasn't my fault----"

"Of course not, Isaac. I'll be back presently," and Mr. Ford started for
his wife's room. Grace rejoined her chums, and Uncle Isaac went to the
parlor.

And, while the scene is thus cleared for a moment I will take advantage
of it to make my new readers somewhat better acquainted with the
characters and setting of this story.

The initial volume of this series was "The Outdoor Girls of Deepdale;
Or, Camping and Tramping for Fun and Health," and in that was related
how Betty, Amy, Mollie and Grace had gone on a walking trip, and how
they solved the strange secret of a five hundred dollar bill.

The second book brought our heroines into the midst of summer, and also
saw them started on a voyage in Betty's motor boat. This book, called:
"The Outdoor Girls at Rainbow Lake; Or, the Stirring Cruise of the Motor
Boat _Gem_," had to do, in a measure, with a curious happening on an
island, following the strange loss of some valuable papers, when a horse
Grace was riding ran away with her. And how the papers were
recovered--but there. It would not be "playing the game" to go into
details now.

"The Outdoor Girls in a Motor Car; Or, The Haunted Mansion of Shadow
Valley," was the third book of the series. As the sub-title indicates
there really was a house where strange manifestations took place, and
when Mollie was captured by the "ghost," her chums were very much
alarmed.

The adventures of our friends in the touring car, which Mollie owned,
carried them well into Fall, and when the first snow came, and the girls
had the chance to go to the woods, they took advantage of the
opportunity. In the fourth book, "The Outdoor Girls in a Winter Camp;
Or, Glorious Days on Skates and Ice boats," there was related how a
certain property dispute, involving Mr. Ford, was settled through good
luck favoring the girls. Also how Amy was claimed by a brother, of whose
existence she was unaware.

They had been back from camp some little time now, when the strange
disappearance of Will Ford gave them new food for thought and action.

"Oh, if we only could find him for you, Grace!" exclaimed Betty, when
her chum had returned to the library, after greeting her father. "If we
only could."

"Yes. If only we could pick him up, as we did that five hundred dollar
bill," added Mollie.

"We might," said Amy, half seriously.

And the girls discussed this possibility--one not so remote as might
seem at firs