as anything at Barbara," whispered Toby, who had
been peeping. "Why, he acts for all the world like he could fairly eat
the sweet little thing up. Perhaps it's a good job we chance to be
around here after all," but Jack shook his head as though he did not
dream any harm was going to come to little Barbara.

"If he's so much taken up watching her," he remarked, "we can spy on him
without his being any the wiser. But take care not to move too quickly
at any time; and a sneeze or a cough would spoil everything for us."

Accordingly, they crept forward. Looking cautiously around their covert,
the boys could easily see that Barbara Badger had by now turned the
bushes and reached the spot where the stranger stood.

Now he was speaking to her, bending low, and using what struck the
suspicious Steve as a wheedling tone; though to Jack it was just what
any gentleman might use in seeking to gain the confidence of a child who
had never seen him before.

Apparently the little girl did not seem to be afraid. Perhaps she was
accustomed to having people speak kindly to her on the street, just to
see that winsome smile break over her wonderfully pretty face. At any
rate, she had answered him, and as he started to walk slowly at her
side, it seemed as though they had entered into quite an animated
conversation, the stranger asking questions, and the little girl giving
such information as lay in her power.

"He's just trying to find out how the land lies in Fred's house, that's
what he's doing, the sneak!" gritted Steve.

"Oh! how do we know but what the man has a small girl of his own
somewhere?" Jack interposed; "and Barbara somehow reminds him of her.
Besides, can you blame anybody for trying to get acquainted with Fred's
sweet little sister?"

Steve subsided after that. Apparently he could find no answer to the
logic Jack was able to bring against his suspicions. By skirting the
inside of a fence it would be possible for them to follow after the man
and the child without disclosing their presence.

"Let's do it!" suggested Steve, after Toby had made mention of this
fact.

Accordingly they started to steal along. As the others were walking very
slowly the three boys found no great difficulty in keeping close behind
them. They could even pick up something of what passed between the pair
on the cinder pavement. The man was asking Barbara about her home folks,
and seemed particularly interested in hearing about mother's pale l