The town also boasted of a paper, the _Weekly Banner_, and there was a
good high and grammar school in town, besides numerous stores, and other
establishments, including a moving picture theatre--this last rather an
innovation.

Our girls--I call them ours, for it is with their fortunes that we shall
be chiefly concerned--our girls lived near each other on the outskirts
of the town.

Betty and her parents occupied an old-fashioned stone house, that had
once been the manor of a farm. But it was old-fashioned outwardly only,
for within it was the embodiment of culture and comfort. It set well back
from the street, and a lane of elms led from the front porch to the
thoroughfare. Back of the house was an old-fashioned garden, likewise
well-shaded, and there were the remains of an apple orchard, some of the
trees still bearing fruit.

On the other side of the street, and not far off, was the home of
Grace--a modern brick house of tasteful design. It had ample grounds
about it, though being rather new could not boast of such noble trees as
those that added dignity to the old stone house.

Amy Stonington lived in a large, rambling wooden structure, too large for
the needs of the family, but artistic nevertheless. It was just around
the corner from the residence of Betty, and the yards of the two girls
joined---if you can call the big orchard of Betty's home a "yard."

Mollie's home was near the river, about ten minutes' walk from that of
the other three girls. It was a wooden house of a dull red that mingled
well in tone with the green grass and the spreading trees that