a long strap. Betty and Mollie supported themselves by
draping their arms about each other's waists.

"'Patience on a monument,'" quoted Betty, looking at the two on
the stump.

"Which one?" asked Mollie with a laugh.

"We'll divide the virtues between us; won't we, Amy?" exclaimed Grace,
putting her head on the other's shoulder. "Now I'm--"

"The sleeping beauty!" supplied Betty, "Do come on!" and after a little
argument, in which Grace insisted that she had not had more than a
minute's respite, the four started off again. They were approaching the
outskirts of the town in the vicinity of which they all lived.

"If this weather keeps up we can't start off on our tramping and camping
trip any too soon," remarked Grace.

"When can we arrange for it?" asked Amy. "I think it is the nicest idea I
ever heard of."

"You can all come over to my house to-night," suggested Betty. "We can
make some plans then, perhaps."

"Let's, then!" cried impulsive Mollie. "But do you really intend to do
any camping, Betty?"

"Yes, if we can. Of course not for any length of time--say a night or
two. There are one or two places where camps are open the year
around, and all you have to do is to go there and board, just as you
would at a hotel."

"Only it must be much nicer," said Amy.

"It is--lots."

They had reached a place where the highway ran under a railroad line,
that crossed on a high bridge. As the girls came under the structure a
fluttering bit of paper on the ground caught the eyes of Betty. Rather
idly she picked it up, and the next moment she uttered a cry that brought
her chums to her side in some alarm.

"Look!" she exclaimed. "A five hundred dollar bill is pinned to this
paper! A five hundred dollar bill, girls!"

CHAPTER II

THE TRAMPING CLUB

With staring eyes, and with breaths that were labored, the three chums
gathered about Betty. She held the bill, and the paper pinned to it,
stretched tightly between her slim fingers.

"Is it--is it real?" gasped Grace.

"Of course it's real," declared Amy.

"How do you know?" asked Mollie. "I confess I never saw a five hundred
dollar bill all at once before."

"Did you see it in pieces?" asked Grace. "What a lot of money!"

"How many pounds of chocolates would it buy?" asked Amy, with a laugh.

"Don't you dare say chocolate to me!" commanded Grace.

"It is real," went on Betty, who had not spoken since picking up the
money. "There's no doubt of that