d on the stair.

"Move it, move the trunk, Pete," she whispered, dragging at it herself.

Rufus Carder appeared at the door just as the dwarf was shoving the
trunk to another part of the room.

"What's the matter?" he asked. "Seems to me you take a long time about
it."

"I'm always so undecided," said Geraldine. "I believe I will have it
back under the window after all, Pete."

So back under the window the boy lifted the trunk, his master meanwhile
looking suspiciously from one to the other. It was quite in the
possibilities that his fair guest might try to corrupt that dog which at
night lay outside her door; but the dog well knew that no corner of the
earth could hide him from Rufus Carder if he played him false, and the
master felt tolerably safe on that score.

All that day Geraldine watched to observe the habits of those around
her. She found that the small yellow building near the drive which
Carder had pointed out to her was the place where he spent most of his
time: the cave of the ogre she named it. The driveway came in from a
road which passed the farm and no one entered it except persons who had
business with the owner.

Again the girl marveled at the character of the country surrounding the
farmhouse. Not a tree provided a hiding-place or shade for man or beast.
Stones had been removed and built into low walls that intersected the
fields. Even in the lovely late spring with verdant crops growing there
were no lines of beauty anywhere. The ugly yellow office building reared
itself from a strip of grass where dandelions fought for their rights,
but a wide cement walk led to its door.

"Come down and see my den," said Rufus late that afternoon. "The washing
dishes and feeding swine can come later if you are determined to do it.
It's a great little old office, that is. There's more business
transacted there than you might suppose." He met Geraldine's grave gaze,
and added: "Many a profitable half-hour your father has spent there.
Yes, indeed, Dick Melody knew which side his bread was buttered on, and
I'm in hopes of being as good a friend to his daughter as I was to him."

Geraldine yielded to the invitation in silence. She wished to discover
every possible detail which could make her understand how her father, as
popular with men as with women, and with every custom of good manners,
had often sought this brute. Doubtless it was to obtain money. Probably
her father had died in debt to the man. Probably