The Girl Scouts in Beechwood Forest   By: Margaret Vandercook (1876-)

THE GIRL SCOUTS IN BEECHWOOD FOREST

BOOKS BY MARGARET VANDERCOOK

THE RANCH GIRLS SERIES The Ranch Girls at Rainbow Lodge The Ranch Girls' Pot of Gold The Ranch Girls at Boarding School The Ranch Girls in Europe The Ranch Girls at Home Again The Ranch Girls and their Great Adventure The Ranch Girls and their Heart's Desire The Ranch Girls and the Silver Arrow

THE RED CROSS SERIES The Red Cross Girls in the British Trenches The Red Cross Girls on the French Firing Line The Red Cross Girls in Belgium The Red Cross Girls with the Russian Army The Red Cross Girls with the Italian Army The Red Cross Girls under the Stars and Stripes The Red Cross Girls Afloat with the Flag The Red Cross Girls with Pershing to Victory The Red Cross Girls with the U. S. Marines The Red Cross Girls in the National Capital

STORIES ABOUT CAMP FIRE GIRLS The Camp Fire Girls at Sunrise Hill The Camp Fire Girls Amid the Snows The Camp Fire Girls in the Outside World The Camp Fire Girls across the Sea The Camp Fire Girls' Careers The Camp Fire Girls in After Years The Camp Fire Girls on the Edge of the Desert The Camp Fire Girls at the End of the Trail The Camp Fire Girls Behind the Lines The Camp Fire Girls on the Field of Honor The Camp Fire Girls in Glorious France The Camp Fire Girls in Merrie England The Camp Fire Girls at Half Moon Lake

THE GIRL SCOUTS SERIES The Girl Scouts of the Eagle's Wing The Girl Scouts in Beechwood Forest The Girl Scouts of the Round Table

[Illustration: She Arranged Two Such Smoke Columns]

The Girl Scouts Series

THE GIRL SCOUTS IN BEECHWOOD FOREST

by

MARGARET VANDERCOOK

Author of "The Ranch Girls Series," "The Red Cross Girls Series," "Stories About Camp Fire Girls," etc.

Illustrated

The John C. Winston Company Publishers Philadelphia

Copyright, 1921, by The John C. Winston Company Made in U. S. A.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE I. Flame 7 II. Looking Backward 19 III. Their Camp 29 IV. Right About, Face 37 V. A Discussion 47 VI. "The Choros" 62 VII. Other Girls 72 VIII. Light and Shade 85 IX. The Odyssey 97 X. Consultations and Decisions 108 XI. Out of the Past 125 XII. Retrospection 135 XIII. A Portrait 142 XIV. Disagreements 149 XV. The Choice 159 XVI. The Greek Spirit 169 XVII. A Classic Revival 176 XVIII. The Passing 191 XIX. Letters 204 XX. Looking Forward 211 XXI. Kara's Departure 215

CHAPTER I

FLAME

The flame ascended, ending in a little spiral of smoke curling upward in the night air.

Overhead the stars shone, the pine trees formed dark shadows.

Within the radius of the firelight a girl leaned forward, her eyes fastened upon a drawing she held in her lap. One could see only vague outlines. The light danced over the figure of the girl, her bright, reddish gold hair, cut short and held in place with an amber comb, her slender shoulders, the unconsciously graceful poise of her body.