Produced by Al Haines
[Transcriber's note: Extensive research found no evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
The Merriweather Girls
Made in U. S. A.
I On Their Way
II A Street Leading to the Capitol
III The Wash-Out
IV The Desert
V A Solitary Explorer
VI Casa Grande
VII The Map of Mystery
VIII Kit's Home Folks
IX Lost Canyon
X The Professor's Job
XI Staking a Claim
XII Double Dealing
XIII The "Orphan Annie" Claim
XIV Treasure Trove
XV A Spy
XVI Missing
XVII Indian Trading
XVIII The Old Chief's Daughter Walks
XIX A Brass Bound Chest
XX "Compliments of Kie Wicks"
In Quest of Treasure
The four Merriweather Girls were assembled at the railroad stationwhere the long string of Pullman coaches stood ready. The girls werestarting on a vacation trip to the southwest.
"What's the matter, now, Joy Evans? Why all the tears?" Bet Baxter,her blond hair in disarray, caught the girl by the shoulders and gaveher a rough but affectionate shake.
"Oh, let her alone, Bet," laughed Shirley Williams. "That's Joy'sgood-bye. She likes to weep when she goes away."
"But why?" insisted Bet, her blue eyes serious for a moment. "We'vebeen planning on this western trip all winter. We've thought ofnothing but Arizona for months. Tell me why you are crying?"
"Because I feel like it, Bet Baxter," snapped Joy. "It's so thrillingto be going away for a long trip, and when it comes to the luxury of aprivate car, why it's twice as thrilly." Joy choked as a laugh and asob got mixed up together. Then making an elaborate but not verypolite grimace at her chum, she disappeared into the car that was tocarry her and her chums westward.
"There, she's herself again," laughed Bet. "That face indicates that
Joy is happy."
Bet was glowing with excitement. It was her first long trip away fromher home in Lynnwood on the Hudson, and the promise of a summer ofadventure in the Arizona mountains was almost too good to be true. Orso it seemed to the girl.
Her one regret was that her father was not coming with her. From theobservation car she was calling her farewell messages to him as hestood on the platform of the station. Bet was his only child and theresponsibility of looking after her and trying to make up for the lossof her mother, was sometimes a heavy burden on Colonel Baxter. Therewas an anxious look in his face now, although he knew that his daughterwould be well taken care of by Judge Breckenridge and his wife, who hadinvited Bet and her chums to be their guests for the summer.
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