light enough--little more than skin and bone, Tom declared--and
the latter lowered her without much effort into Henri's arms.

When the three girls and Aunt Kate at the tavern window saw this safely
accomplished they hurried back to their rooms to dress.

"Something must be done for that poor child," Ruth Fielding said with
decision.

"Are you going to adopt her?" Helen asked.

"And send her to Briarwood?" put in Jennie.

"That might be the very best thing that could happen to her," Ruth
rejoined soberly. "She has lived at times in a theatrical boarding house
and has likewise traveled with her father when he was with a more or less
prosperous company.

"These experiences have made her, after a fashion, grown-up in her ways
and words. But in most things she is just as ignorant as she can be. Her
future is not the most important thing just now. It is her present."

Helen heard the last word from the other room where she was dressing, and
she cried:

"That's it, Ruthie. Give her a present and tell her to run away from her
aunt. She's a spiteful old thing!"

"You do not mean that!" exclaimed her chum. "You are only lazy and hate
responsibility of any kind. We must do something practical for Bella
Pike."

"How easily she says 'we'," Helen scoffed.

"I mean it. I could not sleep to-night if I knew this child was in her
aunt's control."

A knock on the door interrupted the discussion. Ruth, who was quite
dressed now, responded. A lout of a boy, who evidently worked about the
stables, stood grinning at the door.

"Miz Timmins says you folks kin all get out. She won't have you served no
breakfast. She don't want none of you here."

"My goodness!" wailed Jennie. "Dispossessed--and without breakfast!"

"Where is the proprietor of this hotel, boy?" Ruth asked.

"You mean Mr. Drovers? He ain't here. Gone to Boston. But that wouldn't
make no dif'rence. Suse Timmins is boss."

"Oh, me! Oh, my!" groaned Jennie, to whom the prospect was tragic.
Jennie's appetite was never-failing.

The boy slouched away just as Tom and Henri Marchand appeared with Bella
between them.

"You poor, dear child!" cried Ruth, running along the hall to meet them.

Bella struggled to escape from the boys. But Tom and Colonel Marchand held
her by either hand.

"Easy, young one!" advised Captain Cameron.

"I never meant to do no harm, Miss!" cried Bella. "I--I just wanted to see
how I'd look in them clothes. I never do have anything d