Rose's direction they climbed down a rocky ravine and, sure enough, found themselves right beside the little tumbling brook. Dolly sat on a rock and gazed upward at the precipice, looking at the very spot where she had poked her head over.
"Were we really up there looking down?" she exclaimed. "I can hardly believe it. Oh, what a lovely place this is!"
"Yes, isn't it!" cried Dotty; "let's dig something, Daddy."
"What can we find?" And Mr. Rose looked around. "Why, my goodness, my basket is full already!"
"What's in it?" cried Genie, scampering around to see. "Oh, goody! cookies and lemonade!"
Though Dolly had really had two breakfasts, the mountain climb had made her ready to welcome a little light refreshment and the bottles of lemonade and the box of cookies were rapidly disposed of by the party.
"I see Indian Pipes," remarked Mr. Rose, and Dotty cried, "Where? Where?"
"Those who seek will find," said Mr. Rose, smiling, and the girls set to work hunting.
Dotty was the first to spy some of the graceful white blossoms under some concealing green leaves, but a moment later Dolly found some too. With their trowels they carefully dug up the plants and put them in their baskets to take home.
Genie collected some odd stones, and Mrs. Rose found a particular bit of Eglantine that she wanted and soon the baskets were filled and the party took up their homeward way.
Mostly of a down-hill trend, the way home was easy, and as the baskets were not heavy the girls danced gaily along singing songs as they went.
"Why, goodness, gracious sakes; it's nearly two o'clock!" cried Dolly as they entered the big living room of the bungalow and set down their burdens.
"It sho'ly is!" and Maria's black face appeared in the doorway. "I suttinly thought you-all was never comin' home to dinner! I'se been waitin' and waitin' till everything is jes' 'bout spoilt!"
"Oh, I guess not as bad as that, Maria," and Mr. Rose smiled pleasantly at her. "We're not much behind time, and we won't grumble if things are cold."
"Laws' sakes! they ain't cold! I'se dun looked out for dat. Yo' better wash that mud off your hands and come along. Doan' waste no time now."
The Roses were accustomed to Maria's good-natured scoldings and they ran away to follow her advice.
Chapter X.
Hidden Treasure
"Take time to tidy up and put on clean blouses," called out Mrs. Rose as the girls went to their rooms.
But they made quick work of it, and helped each other in the matter of hair ribbons and soon three very trim and tidy young persons in clean white linen presented themselves, hungry for their dinner.
Maria had a steaming chicken stew for them, with fluffy white dumplings that showed no sign of being "spoilt"; in fact, she had not cooked them until after the family's return.
"Was there ever anything so good!" exclaimed Dolly as she received a second portion of the fricassee.
"Everything tastes good up here," said Dotty, "but Maria sure is a dandy on stewed chicken. But go easy, Doll, for I happen to know there's an Apple Betty to follow and just you wait till you see that!"
But Dolly's camp appetite was quite equal to the Apple Betty also, which was, as Dolly had predicted, a triumph in the matter of desserts.
"I feel as if I had been to a party," Dolly said as they left the table. "I believe I've eaten more to-day than I do in a week at home."
"It's the air," said Mr. Rose. "Crosstrees' air is the greatest appetiser known to man. If I could bottle it and sell it, I'd make my everlasting fortune. Now, may I ask what you young ladies have on hand for this afternoon?"
"Nothing particular," said Dotty. "Why?"
"Because I asked a few young people from the neighbouring camps to come over here for awhile."
"A party?" cried Genie. "Oh, Daddy, a party?"
"Not exactly a party; only half a dozen of the Norrises and Holmeses."
"Lovely!" cried Dotty. "I haven't seen the Norrises since last year, and I don't know the Holmeses. Who are they?"
"Mr. Holmes is a friend of mine and his daughter Edith is about the age of you girls, and they have two or three guests."
"And the Norrises, Maisie and Jack, are awfully nice," said Dotty. "You'll like them, Doll; Maisie is something like you."
"She isn't a bit like Dolly," put in Genie, "'cept she's fat and yellow headed and blue eyed. But she isn't half as pretty as Dolly, so don't you mind, Dollyrinda."
"Oh, I don't mind," and Dolly laughed. "I don't think a blue-eyed Towhead can be pretty anyway. I like dark eyes and dark curls best."
"Thank you, ma'am," and Dotty dropped a curtsey. "Shall we dress up, Mother?"
"No; those clean blouses are all right. It's just a camp frolic, not a formal party."
"It's a Kidd party," observed Mr. Rose, looking mysterious.
"A kid party?" echoed Dotty; "of course. I didn't s'pose it was a grown-up party, Daddy, for us children."
Mr. Rose only laughed and turned away, and the girls wandered out toward the open tent where Dolly had gone to bed the night before.
The hemlock-bough beds were covered now with big spreads of gay cretonne and many cretonne pillows, and served as day couches.
The sight of the tent recalled to Dolly's mind the events of the night before, and she suddenly experienced a wave of embarrassment and remorse at the way she had acted. She felt, too, that an apology was due to her hosts and somehow it didn't seem right to talk about it to the girls for she felt that it was to Mr. and Mrs. Rose she owed an explanation.
"Wait here for me a minute," she said suddenly to Dolly and Genie, and turning, she ran back to the bungalow.
She found Mr. and Mrs. Rose in the living room, and going straight to them she said impulsively, "I was very naughty to run away last night and I want to apologise. You see I got homesick—"
"Bless your heart; don't say a word about it," said Mr. Rose, in the kindest tones; "that's part of the performance, child. Everybody gets homesick the first night in camp. It's to be expected. Then, you see, the next day they begin to like it and the third day you couldn't drive them home."
"But I was very impolite to go away like that—"
"Never mind, Dollikins," and Mrs. Rose put her arm around her little visitor; "it's all right, dearie; don't think of it again. I know perfectly well how forlorn you felt and how you wanted your mother. And I know, too, you were chilly and you felt strange and lonesome and couldn't sleep. But that's all over now and we won't even
