The Outdoor Girls at the Hostess House

In Short

Laura Lee Hope’s 1919 juvenile novel follows the Outdoor Girls—Betty, Mollie, Grace, and Amy—as they staff a World War I Hostess House at Camp Liberty. While hosting soldiers and managing their own romantic anxieties over their enlisted sweethearts, the girls take in a grieving, destitute old woman searching for her long-lost son. Between vehicle chases and encounters with suspicious characters, the friends unravel the mystery of the missing son and bring his story to a joyful conclusion. It remains an intriguing time capsule of American home-front enthusiasm and early twentieth-century series fiction.

The Story

The narrative opens with the four Outdoor Girls—spirited leader Betty Nelson, hot-tempered driver Mollie Billette, chocolate-loving Grace Ford, and timid Amy Blackwell—taking a brief driving respite from their duties at the Camp Liberty Hostess House. Their outing is interrupted when they find an elderly woman who has collapsed on the road. They transport her back to their quarters and learn her name is Mrs. Sanderson. She is heartbroken, having lost track of her son, Willie, who ran away years earlier. The girls resolve to help her find him while continuing their primary work: welcoming soldiers, managing visitors, and supporting the regiment of local boys preparing to deploy overseas.

Tension mounts on both personal and civic fronts. The girls navigate minor romantic spats and tearful farewells with their sweethearts—Allen, Frank, Roy, and Will—who are shipping out to France. Simultaneously, a mysterious motorcyclist keeps appearing under suspicious circumstances. Betty and her friends suspect he may be connected to earlier encounters with German spies or local illicit activity. The girls actively pursue him, culminating in a high-speed automobile chase through town with a local chauffeur.

Eventually, the girls corner the elusive motorcyclist with the help of Sergeant Mullins, a camp instructor frustrated at being kept on stateside duty. The suspect turns out to be a local gambler and wrongdoer. Upon bringing him in, a startling revelation occurs: Sergeant Mullins recognizes Mrs. Sanderson as his long-sought mother, having adopted an alias after running away years prior. With the family mystery solved and the Hostess House running smoothly, the girls turn their attention back to the war effort, receiving letters from the front line and pledging to "carry on" until their loved ones return.

How It Unfolds

The roadside rescue While driving through the countryside during a break from camp duties, the girls discover an elderly, faint woman lying in the road. They pack her into Mollie's touring car and transport her back to their Hostess House quarters to care for her.

A mother's grief The guest, Mrs. Sanderson, breaks down upon watching young recruits march across the parade ground. She confides to the girls that the soldiers remind her of her missing son, Willie, who ran away years ago, prompting the girls to take up her cause.

Snakes and suspicious riders During a forest picnic with their soldier friends, the group spot a elusive motorcyclist taking back roads. Later, on another outing, the girls narrowly survive a dangerous encounter with a venomous copperhead snake when Betty and Mollie team up to kill it with a stick and a rock.

Farewell to the regiment The day arrives for the camp’s soldiers to ship out for Europe. Despite internal fears and emotional tearful goodbyes, the four girls resolve to keep up a brave face for Allen, Frank, Roy, and Will as the troop train departs.

The town pursuit Re-energized by busy Hostess House routines, the girls spot the elusive motorcyclist again in a nearby town. They enlist a local driver to give chase in a vehicle, recklessly cornering the suspect in the streets.

Reunion and resolution With the assistance of Sergeant Mullins, the girls detain the motorcyclist, who is exposed as an elusive gambler. In the aftermath, Sergeant Mullins recognizes Mrs. Sanderson, revealing himself to be her long-lost son Willie, leaving the girls to comfortably look forward to the war's end.

The People

• Betty Nelson: The group's "Little Captain" and natural coordinator. Driven by high ideals and practical courage, she wants to keep her friends organized, comfort Mrs. Sanderson, and support her sweetheart Allen. She succeeds by maintaining her resolve through dangerous chases and emotional departures.
• Mollie Billette: The fiery, quick-tempered driver of the group. She wants excitement and immediate action, often clashing playfully with Grace or driving recklessly to blow off steam. She proves her mettle by stepping up during moments of physical danger.
• Grace Ford: The easygoing, candy-obsessed member of the team. She seeks personal comfort and reassurance, often worrying about her brother Will and her own romantic troubles, but manages to pull her weight when real duties demand it.
• Amy Blackwell: The cautious, easily frightened member of the quartet. She constantly fears vehicle crashes and outdoor hazards, yet she consistently tags along, offering gentle sympathy to Mrs. Sanderson and loyalty to the group.
• Mrs. Sanderson: An impoverished, fragile old woman searching for closure regarding her lost child. Her search ends when the girls' pursuit of a suspect brings her face-to-face with Sergeant Mullins.

In Its Own Voice

"He--he was--just like--" The slight form was shaking and the words forced themselves from between her chattering teeth, "what my Willie boy would have been now--if he hadn't--run away. My little son! My baby!"

Mrs. Sanderson breaks down in tears after watching a young recruit march across the camp parade ground.

"If we say we can't, of course we can't, but we can do our best, can't we? If the boys aren't c-crying, why should we?"

Betty rallies the girls to stay composed as their sweethearts prepare to leave for the European front.

"And then, Betty, there's not a Hun that can stand before me. For I've a memory, little girl, that will make me carry on to victory--and you."

Allen expresses his devotion to Betty in a letter sent back to the Hostess House from overseas.

What It's Really About

Beneath its lighthearted juvenile adventure structure, the novel examines American home-front patriotism and female utility during wartime. It presents young women not merely as passive observers of war, but as active participants who provide essential domestic infrastructure, emotional moral support, and civic vigilance. The narrative contrasts the domestic worries of broken families—represented by Mrs. Sanderson’s decades-long search for her son—with the national sacrifice required by World War I. Ultimately, it argues that youth, optimism, and active community service can mend broken personal ties while sustaining the nation through severe external conflicts.

Why Read It Today

Modern readers interested in early twentieth-century popular culture, juvenile series fiction, or home-front World War I history will find this volume an illuminating piece of period writing. The dialogue is light and filled with period banter—replete with theatrical exclamations, lighthearted teasing over box chocolates, and optimistic patriotic rhetoric—that captures the clean-cut publishing standards of the Grosset & Dunlap era.

While contemporary audiences may find the plot reliance on improbable coincidences predictable, and the wartime melodrama somewhat simplified, the quick pacing and energetic leads make for an easy, engaging read. It offers a rare, accessible look at how popular fiction translated real-world global conflict into wholesome, thrilling adventure stories for young readers at home.