lie nervously. "I might put out the light though." She star

her see what's after us,

ught nerves more like the stealthy creeping of an animal than the tread of a man. But w

er for protection and watch

bear," whispered

"Don't you know that bears don't

, "he wouldn't be walking so slo

ed Billie. "He'

ly, when the little door opened and she clappe

that for a startled moment the girls were not at all sure but what it

ter all. As a matter of fact, after the first startled minute it was the new

ame up with a thump against the wall of the hut. From there

muttered, "w

ra giggled. Who could be frightened whe

ed to be drawn over the bones. His shoulders slumped and his arms hung loosely, whethe

ey seemed deep-sunken. And the expression was something that the girls remembered long afterward. It was brooding, haunted, mysterious, wit

repeated, and this time

king more to the kind mouth of the man than t

ra caught her up eagerly, "and came i

h her pleading smile which sometimes won m

across his eyes as if to wake himself up. "Why sh

ke bitterly but the next

it down," he said, so embarrass

smiling at him. "We're too nervous. D

ray all about him. He was soaking, drenching wet, and

ple. But what sane man would build himself a cabin in the woods like this in t

oaching the cabin made her shudder, and instinctively sh

her thought made Billie feel very comfortable. Three girls alone in t

red to Laura and Vi also, and they were

t. He took off his dripping coat, threw it in a heap i

ming to realize that Billie had asked a question which he had not an

at part of their troubles; but then, what else could sh

with sudden interest. "Ah, I could show you where the

owing interested in their t

uncertainly, for she knew just enough ab

at," said the man. "I've had

man. He walked over to the other end of the room and before the girl

the girls looked down into it they saw that it

hey looked up at him, puzzled. "And th

ly returned the baskets to their hiding pl

me from?" he ask

ree Towers Hall,

very much interested. "Are yo

had to smile. "We are not old e

like the

y mu

reason they could not explain, the girls felt far from comfor

school," said the man slowly. "I su

d Laura, thinking she

a few tea

, y

man continued to look at them so queerly that Billie was convinced that there was something wrong w

get back? They were lost, and at night the way

put them on the right path to Three Towers all wel

more," Laura broke in on her thought

mind," added Vi eagerly. "We're wet now, a

t into the open. In a moment he was back with what s

the foliage is still dripping. If

were starting from the door when

she cried. "W

would reprimand them if they did not bring back the ferns, and finally f

cquaintance lingering behind to put out the light, an

lly take us back?" Vi whisp

her hands fiercely against her side.

d Laura hysterically. "It's an awful w