o wandering around in circles. If you can see the
sun, you can know which way you're going, and you can be sure of getting
somewhere, if you only keep on long enough. But in the woods, unless you
know a lot of things, there's nothing to guide you, and people just
seem, somehow, bound to walk in a circle. They keep on coming back to
the place they started from."

Pine Bridge was a junction point, and while the girls waited, patiently
enough, it began to grow dark. Several trains came in, but, though they
looked anxiously at the passengers who descended from each one of them,
there was no sign of Miss Mercer.

"I hope nothing's happened to her," said Zara anxiously.

"Oh, we mustn't worry, Zara. She's all right, and she'll come along
presently."

"But suppose she didn't, what should we do?"

"We'd be able to find a place to spend the night. I've got money, you
know, and the policeman would tell us where to go, if we went to him, as
the conductor told us to do."

Another train came in on the same track as the one that had brought
them. Again they scanned its passengers anxiously, but no one who looked
at all like Miss Mercer got off, and they both sighed as they leaned
back against the hard bench. Neither of them had paid any attention to
the other passengers, and they were both startled and dismayed when a
tall, gaunt figure loomed up suddenly before them, and they heard the
harsh voice of Farmer Weeks, chuckling sardonically as he looked down on
them.

"Caught ye, ain't I?" he said. "You've given me quite a chase--but I've
run you down now. Come on, you Zara!"

He seized her hand, but Bessie snatched it from him.

"You let her alone!" she said, with spirit. "You've no right to touch
her!"

"I'll show you whether I've any right or not, and I'm going to take her
back with me!" Farmer Weeks said, furiously. "Come on, you baggage!
You'll not make a fool of me again, I'll promise you that!"

"Come on," said Bessie, suddenly. She still held Zara's hand, and before
the surprised farmer could stop them, Bessie had dragged Zara to her
feet, and they had dashed under his outstretched arm and got clear away,
while the loafers about the station laughed at him.

"Come back! You can't get away!" he shouted, as he broke into a clumsy
run after them. "Come back, or I'll make you sorry--"

But Bessie knew what she was about. Without paying the slightest
attention to his angry cries, she ran straight around to the front of