arm. Curiously enough, while she was not afraid for herself, she did
feel a little fear now for her companion. The two girls hurried until
they reached the bridge, and ran the whole length. On the other side,
coming into the lighted main street of Amity, they felt quite safe.

"Did you see any of those dreadful men?" gasped Lily.

"I just caught a glimpse of them, then Mrs. Ramsey shut the door,"
said Maria.

"They were drunk, weren't they?"

"I shouldn't wonder."

"I do think it was an awful place to go to," said Lily, with a little
sigh of relief that she was out of it.

The girls went along the street until they reached the Ramsey house,
next the one where Maria lived. Suddenly a man's figure appeared from
the gate. It was almost as if he had been watching.

"Good-evening," he said, and the girls saw that he was George Ramsey.

"Good-evening, Mr. Ramsey," responded Maria. She felt Lily's arm
tremble in hers. George walked along with them. "I have been to carry
the presents which I bought with your money," said Maria.

"Good heavens! You don't mean that you two girls have been all alone
up there?" said George.

"Why, yes," said Maria. "Why not?"

"Weren't you afraid?"

"Maria isn't afraid of anything," Lily's sweet, little, tremulous
voice piped on the other side.

George was walking next Maria. There was a slight and very gentle
accusation in the voice.

"It wasn't safe," said George, soberly, "and I should have been glad
to go with you."

Maria laughed. "Well, here we are, safe and sound," she said. "I
didn't see anything to be much afraid of."

"All the same, they are an awful set there," said George. They had
reached Maria's door, and he added, "Suppose you walk along with me,
Miss Edgham, and I will see Lily home." George had been to school
with Lily, and had always called her by her first name.

Maria again felt that little tremor of Lily's arm in hers, and did
not understand it. "All right," she said.

The three walked to Lily's door, and had said good-night, when Lily,
who was, after all, the daughter of her mother, although her little
artifices were few and innocent, had an inspiration. She discovered
that she had lost her handkerchief.

"I think I took it out when we reached your gate, Mr. Ramsey," she
said, timidly, for she felt guilty.

It was quite true that the handkerchief was not in her muff, in which
she had carried it, but there was a pocket in her coat which she did
not