The Outdoor Girls in Florida Or, Wintering in the Sunny South   By: Laura Lee Hope

Or

Wintering in the Sunny South

by

LAURA LEE HOPE

Author of "The Outdoor Girls of Deepdale," "The Outdoor Girls in a Motor Car," "The Bobbsey Twins," "The Bobbsey Twins at School," Etc.

Illustrated

New York Grosset & Dunlap Publishers

BOOKS FOR GIRLS BY LAURA LEE HOPE

12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. Price per volume, 40 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 BOBBSEY TWINS BOOKS

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

Grosset & Dunlap, Publishers, New York Copyright, 1913, by Grosset & Dunlap.

THE OUTDOOR GIRLS IN FLORIDA

[Illustration: "THAT'S A MANATEE A SEA COW SOME FOLKS CALL 'EM," ANSWERED THE YOUTH. Page 126.

The Outdoor Girls in Florida. ]

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE I BAD NEWS 1 II GOOD NEWS 14 III WILL'S LETTER 25 IV "COME HOME!" 33 V MISSING AGAIN 41 VI AN APPEAL FOR HELP 50 VII OFF FOR FLORIDA 59 VIII LAUNCHING THE BOAT 68 IX ON A SAND BAR 75 X DOUBTFUL HELP 82 XI INTO THE INTERIOR 93 XII A WARNING 103 XIII A STRANGE TOW 108 XIV THE TATTERED YOUTH 118 XV THE TWO MEN 126 XVI SUSPICIOUS CHARACTERS 132 XVII IN DANGER 139 XVIII BETWEEN TWO PERILS 147 XIX LOST 154 XX THE LOON 163 XXI TO THE RESCUE 169 XXII THE EVERGLADE CAMP 177 XXIII THE ESCAPE 185 XXIV THE YOUTH ON THE RAFT 189 XXV WILL FORD 196

THE OUTDOOR GIRLS IN FLORIDA

CHAPTER I

BAD NEWS

"Why, Grace, what in the world is the matter? You've been crying!"

"Yes, I have, Betty. But don't mind me. It's all so sudden. Come in. I shall be all right presently. Don't mind!"

Grace Ford tried to repress her emotion, but the cause of her tears was evidently too recent, or the effort at self control too much for her, for she gave way to another outburst, sobbing this time on the shoulder of Betty Nelson, who patted her sympathetically, and murmured soothingly to her chum.

"But what is it, Grace?" Betty asked, after waiting a minute.

"I I'll tell you in a moment or two, Betty. Just just wait," and the tall, graceful girl made a more successful effort to master her feelings.

"Here come Amy and Mollie," went on Betty, as she glanced from the library window and saw two girls walking up the path opened across the lawn through the mass of newly fallen snow. "Do you want to meet them, Grace; or shall I say you don't feel well have a headache? They'll understand. And perhaps in a little while "

"No no, Betty. It's sweet of you to want to help me; but Amy and Mollie might just as well know now as later. I'll be able to see them in a little while. It it's all so sudden."

"But what does it all mean, Grace? I can't understand. Is anyone dead or or hurt?" and Betty Nelson, who had called at the house of Grace to talk over plans for a dance they were going to attend the following week, looked anxiously at her chum. Only the day before Grace had seemed like her nearly always jolly self. She and her three chums, including Betty, had been down town shopping, and Grace, as usual, had indulged in chocolates her one failing, if such it can be called.