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Modern women organize around shared purpose and action

Sylvia Pursell hosts Rose Bancroft at her Central Park West apartment as members of the Nowadays Club gather in New York. Joined by Alice Harrow and Hazel Reed, the former schoolmates establish a self-governing circle dedicated to testing modern ideas and independence. They organize a summer expedition to the Adirondacks under the chaperonage of Aunt Theodora Leigh Brownley. Their plans combine social freedom with outdoor exploration.

CHAPTER I

Self-directed order creates energy without formal hierarchy

The Nowadays Club operates without dues, set officers, or rigid rules, allowing each member to assume leadership as needed. Hazel Reed from Chicago and Alice Harrow from Baltimore bring distinct regional perspectives to their planning sessions. The group focuses on mastering current skills, from popular dances to mechanical operation. Their social club functions as a space for female autonomy and collective decision-making.

CHAPTER II

Professional pressure can shatter mental stability

News arrives that Sylvia’s brother Roy Pursell suffered a nervous collapse while researching silk dyes for the Hosmore Chemical Company. Overwork in applying coal-tar products to replace missing European imports drove him into a sanitarium. Harry Montray contacts Sylvia to clarify that Roy's condition is stabilizing despite his lost memory of the chemical formula. Rose Bancroft feels deep personal concern given her quiet romantic attachment to Roy.

CHAPTER III → CHAPTER IV

Unexpected train encounters bridge social worlds

A sudden lurch of the northbound train propels Hazel into the seat of Jack Benton. The chance collision leads to an introduction when Aunt Theodora recognizes Jack as the brother of a former classmate. Shared travel transforms strangers into companions across the railway car. The young man joins the women's table, setting an easy tone for the journey toward Syracuse and Albany.

CHAPTER V

Disappearing valuables test poise during public gatherings

Reaching the Fulton Chain gateway at Old Forge, the party prepares for water routes through eight connected lakes. During an evening dance at the local hotel, Alice Harrow discovers her inherited gold ring with its square-cut emerald missing from her finger. Rather than accuse her recent dance partner, the group relies on Aunt Theodora to notify the hotel manager. A general announcement avoids public embarrassment while initiating a structured search.

CHAPTER VI → CHAPTER VII

Quick composure prevents disaster when boats capsize

A broken paddle sends an eight-man racing canoe colliding with the smaller craft carrying Alice and her companion Tupson. The sudden collision overturns the light boat and throws both passengers into the deep lake water. Strong swimmers from the racing crew dive instantly to assist, pulling Alice safely to the stern of their vessel. Nearby cottage owners provide dry garments and warm hospitality to settle the shaken paddlers.

CHAPTER VIII

Wilderness logistics require specialized regional knowledge

An errant golf drive across a bunker strikes a young canoeist on the cap, leading to a friendly reconciliation on the course. To travel from the Fulton Chain lakes to Raquette Lake, Sylvia hires three experienced boatmen, including a dedicated camp cook. The guides warn that dense forest trails require strict adherence to established paths to prevent getting lost. Efficient alcohol stoves and organized gear prepare the group for wilderness travel.

CHAPTER IX → CHAPTER X

Unexpected shelter provides comfort during mountain storms

Heavy rains overtake the party along the trail, forcing a turn into a log cabin managed by their guides Jimmie and his partner. A blazing hearth fire dries damp clothing while canned stores provide an evening meal. The girls settle into clean bunks while listening to the wind lashed against the slab roof. The emergency shelter turns a frustrating delay into an cozy evening of shared stories.

CHAPTER XI

Practical negotiation secures reliable water transport

Midnight brings two soaked women, a mistress and her maid Suzanne, seeking refuge from the persistent downpour. After the storm clears, the party charters a motor boat named the Clytie at a Raquette Lake dock. Despite the sour temperament of the whittling boat keeper, Sylvia negotiates terms for independent navigation. The acquisition of an engine-powered vessel grants the club complete freedom across wide waters.

CHAPTER XII → CHAPTER XIII

Technical competence unlocks independence on open waters

Cruising across Raquette Lake, the four friends rotate duties at the steering wheel and inspect engine oil cups. Alice maintains the mechanical lubrication system while Sylvia navigates past passing steamers. Freedom from tight schedules allows them to explore Big Island and Osprey Island at leisure. Mechanical skill transforms young travelers from passive passengers into capable boat operators.

CHAPTER XIV

Equipment failures test nerve in pitch blackness

A depleted storage battery and faulty ignition stall the Clytie off Indian Point as night falls over the lake. Repeated attempts to turn the flywheel by hand fail, leaving the engine lifeless in total darkness. The dense forest absorbs all lingering twilight, wrapping the boat in heavy shadow. Fear threatens the party as the vessel drifts helplessly near the unlit shoreline.

CHAPTER XV → CHAPTER XVI

Unfamiliar wilderness sounds distort ordinary perception

A piercing, terrifying screech echoing across the water unnerves the stranded boaters until Sylvia identifies it as a diving loon. Sharing warm coffee and sandwiches calms their frayed nerves inside the darkened cabin. Dawn brings daylight and a rescue craft sent by Aunt Theodora from the Antlers hotel to tow them to safety. The night's anxiety dissolves into relief as search parties welcome the unhurt crew.

CHAPTER XVII

Comfortable base camps establish routine in deep woods

The party pitches Camp Natalie on the shore of Shedd Lake in honor of newlywed Natalie Rachlin and her husband Bob. Five structured tents, complete with cots and a coal-fired cooking tent, offer full domestic comfort in the forest. Mrs. Rachlin prepares hot meals while the girls hike secret balsam trails and fish in nearby streams. Daily outdoor routines build physical stamina and steady spirits.

CHAPTER XVIII

Sudden river accidents test physical bravery and instinct

Navigating rapid waters on a tributary, Sylvia and Rose capsize their canoe in churning currents. Hazel and Alice maneuver their own craft into an eddy and throw a mooring rope to tow their friends ashore. That evening, the group attends a vibrant masquerade ball at the Raquette Lake hotel in elaborate costumes. Alice dresses as a Dresden shepherdess while Sylvia appears as starry Night.

CHAPTER XIX → CHAPTER XX

Identical claims mask individual identities under disguise

Four distinct masked dancers approach Sylvia during the ball, each claiming to be the knight who aided her during the canoe rescue. Disguised as a Dutchman, a Spaniard, Mephistopheles, and a Cavalier, each partner displays subtly different dancing styles. Sylvia attempts to decipher their identities through careful questioning about city origins and mountain camps. The deliberate confusion keeps the ballroom filled with intrigue under the brilliant moonlight.

CHAPTER XXI

Urgent family needs override leisure plans

Interrupting the masquerade, a long-distance telephone message from Harry Montray reports that Roy Pursell’s mental health is deteriorating. Roy remains obsessed with his forgotten silk dye chemical formula, preventing his recovery. Sylvia resolves immediately to break camp and travel northward to Saranac Lake to stand by her brother. Rose, Alice, and Hazel instantly commit to joining her, abandoning party festivities for a personal rescue mission.

CHAPTER XXII → CHAPTER XXIII

Physical exhaustion requires deliberate rest before action

Arriving at Saranac Inn, Sylvia suffers a severe headache from sleeplessness and grueling travel. Aunt Theodora insists on breakfast in bed and rest to restore reserves of physical strength before facing her brother. Inquiries reveal that Loneberg Camp lies four miles away near Lake Clear. Rested and composed, the young women prepare for the final leg of their search.

CHAPTER XXIV

Unexpected departures force sudden rerouting across lakes

A letter left at the hotel clerk's desk reveals that Roy abruptly left Loneberg Camp with Harry Montray. Suffering a severe mental relapse, Roy insisted on seeking out Professor Russman, a German chemist living on Lower Saranac Lake. After delays caused by broken boat machinery, Sylvia charters Hank Wherry's motor boat, the Balsam, to cross seventeen miles of waterways toward Russman's isolated bungalow.

CHAPTER XXV → CHAPTER XXVI

Unattended spaces signal sudden and unexplained flight

Landing at night on Lower Saranac Lake, the searchers walk up a lighted trail to Professor Russman's bungalow. They discover the house entirely wide open, with hanging lamps burning brightly and warm food left untouched on the kitchen stove. No inhabitants answer their calls across the empty rooms and wraparound porch. The eerie silence of the illuminated building deepens the growing mystery surrounding Roy's whereabouts.

CHAPTER XXVII

Delirious impulses drive vulnerable individuals into deep wilderness

Professor Russman and his wife return to the bungalow from an unsuccessful search into the surrounding dark woods. They explain that Roy experienced a violent mental crisis and fled blindly into the dense forest an hour earlier. Harry Montray and Adolph Russman remain out in the night tracking vague traces. Realizing Roy is lost without proper clothing or food, Sylvia commits to organizing a search.

CHAPTER XXVIII → CHAPTER XXIX

Community networks mobilize systematically during crisis

Morning brings clear skies as Professor Russman consults Old Sam, a veteran Adirondack guide living nearby. The guide reassures Sylvia that experienced woodsmen routinely track and recover missing visitors across mountain terrain. Sylvia chooses to hold off notifying her parents in New York until local efforts are exhausted. The party prepares signal equipment and provisions to search systematic sectors around Lower Saranac Lake.

CHAPTER XXX

Organized signals rally search parties across vast forests

Old Sam sounds long blasts on a traditional conch horn to summon local guides, campers, and boatmen to form search lines. Pete Wharton takes charge of a group including the Nowadays Girls, providing flashlights, signal horns, and blank cartridges. They establish a three-mile search radius from the bungalow to prevent additional members from wandering off. Clear discipline keeps despair from paralyzing the searching party.

CHAPTER XXXI → CHAPTER XXXII

Disorientation on split trails multiplies danger during storms

Separation from their guide causes the girls and Aunt Theodora to follow a descending path toward Bald Mountain by mistake. A violent mountain thunderstorm strikes the forest, darkening the woods with heavy rain and flashing lightning. Reaching a Y-fork in the trail, the lost group realizes they cannot identify the path back to the bungalow. Stranded in the tempest, they shout together into the darkness for assistance.

CHAPTER XXXIII

Perseverance restores lost memory and reunites family

Guided by shouting voices and flashing lights, Felton and searchers reach the stranded women in the storm. Felton leads Sylvia to a shallow rock ledge where her brother Roy lies exhausted, half-starved, and feverish. Hot coffee and warm food revive Roy, whose fever breaks as his full memory and sanity return. The expedition ends in shared relief as the group returns safely from the mountain wilderness.

CHAPTER XXXIV → CHAPTER XXXV

Book

The Nowadays Girls in the Adirondacks

A lost chemical formula drives a mountain wilderness rescue mission.

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