rust it into her
pocket.

A noise in the entry startled her. She closed the drawer, locked it,
and restored the key to the place where she had found it. The closet
door was secured in like manner, and the key returned to the vase.
Passing out of the library as she had entered, she made her way back to
the road, and walked towards the school-house. Before she reached it,
however, she turned down a lane leading to the river. It was a lonely
avenue, completely shaded by trees, which concealed her from the view
of the people in the adjoining houses. Increasing her pace to a
bounding run, she soon reached the Hudson.

Seated on a stone, near the river, was a girl of fourteen, who had
evidently been waiting for Fanny. In her hand she held a couple of
books, which indicated that she also had been sent to school.

"Where have you been? Why didn't you come before?" asked the girl, as
she rose at Fanny's approach.

"I couldn't come before," replied Fanny.

"Why not?" demanded the other, whose name was Kate Magner.

"No matter why not," answered Fanny, rather testily, for she was not
yet quite willing to confess what she had done in the library of the
mansion-house.

"Haven't the folks gone away?"

"Yes; they all went off in the morning train. Where is Tom?"

"I don't know."

"But we want him; we can't get along without him."

"He said he would come."

"But he is late."

"So are you."

"I couldn't help it."

"I suppose he can't, either. But what are we going to do, Fan?" asked
Kate, who did not seem to be satisfied with the present prospect of the
enterprise, whatever it was.

"We are going to have a good time."

"You said that before; but I want to know what we are going to do. You
asked me to meet you here at half past eight. You come at nine, and I
don't see that anything is to be done. I shall catch it for playing
truant from school, and all for nothing."

"You shall have the best time you have had in your life."

"I don't know about that. Why don't you tell me what you mean to do?"

"I am almost afraid to tell you, Kate."

"Afraid of what?"

"I'm afraid you won't dare to go with me."

"Did you ever do anything I was afraid to do?" said Kate, with a sneer.

"But this is a greater thing than we ever did before. We may be gone a
long time, and we are certain to be found out."

"What do you mean?" demanded Kate, apparently appalled by this frank
statement of the difficulties of the enterprise.