face, as he turned. It was a mean, cruel-looking face, too."

"It wasn't one of those men who tried to get Russ's patent; was it?"
asked Ruth.

"No, neither one of them was lame. And they are both locked up, I
think. This is some other man. There, he's gone--at least I can't
see him any more."

Either a depression in the field over which he was running, or some
hollow between hummocks, now hid the man from view. Then, too, night
was falling, and the shadows were dusky.

"We had better go and give the alarm," said Ruth, pulling gently on
her sister's arm, to urge her forward. Together they hastened to the
house, where, pantingly, they told what they had seen and heard.

"Some tramp, likely," said Sandy, as catching up a club he ran toward
the barn. Russ, Paul, and some of the other male members of the
theatrical company followed. Alice wanted to go also, but Ruth would
not let her.

Nothing came of the search, however, though it was carried far
afield. The men came back soon.

"Some tramp, sure," reaffirmed Sandy. "This part of th' country is
getting too thick with 'em. Something will have to be done. But I
don't see where he could have hidden himself. You say the noise was
just like the one you heard before?"

"The same," answered Alice, "and it sounded in the same place--just
as if someone had fallen, and then came a groan."

"Maybe the man did fall and hurt himself," suggested Ruth. "And that,
likely, was what made him limp."

"Well, I wish he'd limp away from here and stay away," complained
Sandy. "I can't see, though, how he managed to hide himself in the
barn. There's something strange about that place."

There was, but even Sandy had no suspicion of how very strange the
matter was connected with the old structure.

"Oh dear!" exclaimed Ruth, when the chase for the man was over, "I'll
be afraid to go to that barn dance now."

"Nonsense!" said Alice. "We'll all be there--and so will Russ," she
added with a sly laugh.

"As if that made any difference!" answered Ruth, quickly.

"Oh, it _might_," and Alice seemed very innocent, but there was
laughter in her eyes.

In spite of the fact that there were many men and boys at the barn
dance, Ruth could not help looking around nervously now and then
during the course of the little play, several scenes of which took
place in the old building. But there was no further alarm, and no
unbidden guests were discerned in the bright glare of the powerful
lights.