The Camp Fire Girls at Onoway House, or, The Magic Garden

Excerpt: ..."I did it myself," she said, in a dazed tone. "I spoiled the ketchup myself." At her shout the girls came together in the kitchen to hear the story of the mistaken ingredient. "What can that be?" they all asked. Nobody knew. It was some dried herb that had been left by the former mistress of the house, and a powerful one. The girls looked at each other blankly. "And I accused Sahwah of doing it," said Migwan, remorsefully. "No wonder she flared up and left us, I don't blame her a bit. I wouldn't thank anyone for accusing me wrongfully of anything like that." "We'll have to go after her this very evening," said Gladys, "and bring her back." "If she'll come," said Hinpoha, knowing Sahwah's proud spirit. "Oh, I'm quite willing to grovel in the dust at her feet," said Migwan. Gladys drove them all into town with her and they sped to the Brewster house. It was all dark and silent. Sahwah was evidently not there. They tried 117 the neighbors. They all denied that she had been near the house. They finally came to this conclusion themselves, for in the light of the street lamp just in front of the house they could see that the porch was covered with a month's accumulation of yellow dust which bore no footmarks but their own. Here was a new problem. They had come expecting to offer profuse apologies to Sahwah and carry her back with them to Onoway House rejoicing, and it was a shock to find her gone. The thought of letting her go on believing that they mistrusted her was intolerable, but how were they going to clear matters up? Sahwah had no relatives in town, and, of course, they did not know all her friends, so it would be hard to find her. That is, if she had ever reached town at all. Something might have happened to her on the way-Nyoda and Gladys sought each other's eyes and each thought of what had happened to them on the way to Bates Villa. With heavy hearts they rode back to Onoway House. The days...