"We shall," she said.

"But if we don't?" persisted Betty.

"Then I suppose we shall have to tell somebody who--who could--why, hunt
for her more thoroughly," stammered Katherine. "Or possibly we'd better
wait till morning and make sure that she didn't stay all night with Miss
Day. But if we don't find her, there will be plenty of time to discuss
that."

At the campus gateway the girls hesitated.

"Suppose we should meet the night-watchman?" said Betty anxiously.
"Would he arrest us?"

Katherine laughed at her fears. "I was only wondering if we hadn't
better take the path through the orchard. If we go down by the
dwelling-houses we might meet him, of course, and it would be awkward
getting rid of him if he has an ordinary amount of curiosity."

"But that path is spooky dark," objected Betty.

"Not so dark as the street behind the campus," said Katherine decidedly,
"and that's the only alternative. Come on."

When they had almost reached the back limit of the campus Katherine
halted suddenly. Betty clutched her in terror. "Do you see any one?" she
whispered. Katherine put an arm around her frightened little comrade.
"Not a person," she said reassuringly, "not even the ghost of my
grandmother. I was just wondering, Betty, if you'd care to go ahead down
to the landing and call, while I waited up by the road. Eleanor is such
a proud thing; she'll hate dreadfully to be caught in this fix, and I
know she'd rather have you come to find her than me or both of us. But
perhaps you'd rather not go ahead. It is pretty dark down there."

Betty lifted her face from Katherine's shoulder and looked at the black
darkness that was the road and the river bank, and below it to the pond
that glistened here and there where the starlight fell on its cloak of
mist.

"Of course," said Katherine after a moment's silence, "we can keep
together just as well as not, as far as I am concerned. I only thought
that perhaps, since this was your plan and you are so fond of
Eleanor--oh well, I just thought you might like to have the fun of
rescuing her," finished Katherine desperately.

"Do you mean for me to go ahead and call, and if Eleanor answers not to
say anything to her about your having come?"

"Yes."

"Then how would you get home?"

"Oh, walk along behind you, just out of sight."

"Wouldn't you be afraid?"

"Hardly."

"But I should be taking the credit for something I hadn't done."

"And Eleanor would be the happier ther