Ruth Fielding At Sunrise Farm

e, or she must have been disturbed by Ruth's tossing and wakefulness. The other two girls in t

o said her name was Raby. Perhaps Ruth had no right to aid the girl if she was a runaway; yet there must b

t she had eaten discarded, dry bread, washed down with water

Mrs. Tellingham? Or, mightn't I get some of the girls interested in her? Dea

nto her confidence about the half-wild girl; an

nge happening at the fountain on the campus. One girl whispered it to another, and the tal

pushed Sarah Fish into what Heavy declared was "her proper element." The wildest and most im

cated, that she felt like running away herself. But at mail time Madge Steele burst into the

at do you think?" she cried. "We'

breath," said Mercy, with a snap. "Now you've spilled

Mercy. I invite every one of you for the last week in

The Fox." "Do begin at the beginning. I, fo

e farm Madge means. It is a big stock farm and it's not many miles from Darrow

g place-five hundred acres. It's on a big, flat-topped hill. Father has been negotiating for the oth

us to live there this summer, while he builds a bigger house. And you shall

and Busy Izzy; and Belle shall invi

n having a standing army

. The old garret has been made o

rself, Madge Steele?" cried Helen. "What

d, after we've been there two days," declared Heavy. "By

, you get up in your sleep and f

rtant details understood right a

said Madge, smiling broadly, "we'

home for permission," L

e shall," ch

party. No more Briarwood for me after this June, and I don't know what I shall

"Get out of here!" and under a shower of sofa p

were gabbling so fast over the invitation for the early

irl in whom she had taken such a great interest the nigh

long serpentine path, known as the Cedar Walk. The lines of closely gro

at the end of the walk. Nobody was in sight. Ruth looked up and down. Then she walked

her word," thought Ruth. "And yet-som

and turn. She faced a thicket of scrubby bushes across the road. S

ried Ruth, startin

out. Somebody'll hear you,

ed Ruth, darting around the clump of brush a

worry," said the Raby girl. "A

sandwiches, two apples, a piece of cake, and half a box of chocol

ou sit right down on that dry log and eat. Don't mind me. I-I was awak

ith her mouth full, she gazed up at her new frie

come down the path alone, but reckoned I'd better wait and see if you

you I would

s has fooled me. Them Perkinses was as soft as butter when they came to take m

you haven't any m

? Willie and Dickie was taken away by other folks. I wisht somebody would ha' tak

t. For some moments Ruth had remained silent, listening to her. Now sh

unkempt and not at all attractive figure. She might have been twelve-possibly fourteen. She was sligh

naturally dark, and she had a deep layer of tan, and over that quite a

he wore a three-quarter length coat of some indeterminate, shoddy material, much soiled, and

ime when the loss of her own parents was still a fresh wound. Supposing no kind friends had been raised up for her

he girl of the Red Mill, sitting down beside the other on the

anage?" demanded the

I had f

g'lar orphan, then," w

bout it,"

the girl, in quite a matter-of-fact manner. "Pa died two months before. It w

are you now

em Perkinses got me," explained the child. "I was pretty sharp and f

them?" cr

lopped off their curls at the orphanage. I was glad Mom was dead then," said the g

ck to the orphanage. The folks that took 'em was nice enough, I guess, but the man thought

ing her head confidentially. "And they're only nine now. There's three years yet for the matron to find them a good home. Ye see, folks take young orphans on tria

ured Ruth. "And you and your lit

e girl suddenly "knuckled" her eyes with her dirty hand to wipe awa

from the people that took yo

Perkins is awful cross, an'

take you back a

, there's a Board, or sumpin'; an' the Board finds out all about the folks that take away the orphans in the first place. Th

hrough the bushes. Ruth had heard the th

l' Perkins hisself. He's come clean over th

wrist with her cla

ust a closely-folded dollar bill into the girl's grimy fin

king. Somebody shouted "Whoa!" in a very harsh voice, and t

e I tan ye with this whip!" and the whip in question snapped viciously as the sp