Ruth Fielding At Sunrise Farm

st have occurred!"

back from the crowding group and darted out of the room. Fortunately neither the French teacher, nor the matron, had yet been aroused. If the girls ca

and out of the house. Some of the fastest runners amon

Ruth. "What is the mat

ghost!" decl

pped another. "Somebody shoved Sara

eized upon the senior, believing she might get

h, as they scrambled up the stone steps. "Don't y

ng: "Do, do tell me what you mean

at she was pushed, and she did most certainly fall right in

ody played a trick on her. I guess she was fool

f the other side of the fountain and

uth, under her breath. "And

ally laughing, but

anything so ridiculou

iss Picolet after

ppened?" demand

t had been pasted upon her figure. "See? I'm just soaked. Talk about sp

t h

these steps. I was watching the girls, and listening to t

gs. I looked all around, and saw nothing. Now I know the person must have already climb

y somebody there

into the fountain, if

ll

cried Sarah.

shed?'" giggled Madge. "Sound

fed Sarah. "I wonder

said Ruth, calming the troubled waters. "Do

de the sitting figure, so that the girls would not see me,

you squalled?

ntain just as the-the person who pushed m

culated Ruth. "Do tell

?" responded Sarah, trying to wring

nother figure-the too, too s

he walk, Heavy fell upon the steps and giggled. "Oh, Sarah!" she gasped. "For once,

ugh

o," respo

f it wer

loundering there

her breath. "Was it a girl who pu

sure of that, at lea

uchsafed Heavy. "Did you see her just skimming acros

of our girls,"

if so, it's a girl I never saw

h. Then she looked at Madge. Madge was one of the oldest girls at B

tragglers mounted the steps and disappe

heir abode. In the other end was the dining-room, with the kitchens and other offices in the basement. Besides, Tony Foyle, wh

he little old Irishman, but already they saw his lantern behind the grated window in the fro

cross the campus, I tell ye, Mary Ann! Th

hat Tony was talking to his wife, who remained in the bedc

l go the other. There must be so

is a

I'm not afraid," declared Ruth, a

next brick structure. There were no lights here, but there was a gas lamp on a post beyond the far corner, and before she was ha

of thick bushes, and suddenly collided with somebody who uttered a

ller, and far slighter than Ruth, struggled madly to escape. She did not

panted Ruth. "I want

e girl of the Red Mill was very s

and then you will be in trouble. I want to know who you are and what you wer

lated the other girl, suddenly. "You

Ruth, firmly. "I'm ho

ite you!" vo

Ruth. "You stop struggling, or I'll shout

sped the strange girl, sud

ng here?" de

t belong nowheres. An' yo

aid Ruth, greatly amazed. "You

l," whispered the frighte

u doing over ther

d found some dry pieces of bread the cook had put on top of a box the

me!" whisp

have a drink o' water to wash it down. And jest as I got down in

about the school all that time and never came and

e'd done worse to me," said the other, quickl

you?" dema

ain't such a fur ways from here. If that cook-or any other grown folk-seen me, they'd want to send me back.

rmured Ruth. "But I'm so sorr

rangely spoken girl. "I ain't no softie. Now,

elp you. I want to know more about y

. He's a-comin'," gasped the

ay to-night?" aske

and dry. I stayed there las

ant to h

me none to g

ear here to-morrow morning-will you? I'll

the other, seemingly startled by th

the truth. I

you-but you wo

a s

yer h

ngs," said Ruth. "If I say I

What time'll

o'c

I'll be across the road from that path

Cedar

ess

there. And

away from Ruth and ran. Tony Foyle came blundering around the corner of the house and Ruth, mu

"Tony's out. We had better go back to bed, or he'll report us to Mrs. Tell

Red Mill allowed her friend to think that her own search had been qu