ase--in case anything
happens," she finished, rather falteringly.

"Silly!" exclaimed Alice. "There is no one in this place."

"But that man might come back."

"Not likely. Besides, don't you know that it's the worst thing in the
world to stand in an open doorway, before a fireplace or in a draft
of any kind when there's lightning. Lightning is always attracted by
a draft, or a chimney, or something like that."

"Oh, why do you always think of such nervous, scary things?" cried
Ruth.

"Because they're true," answered Alice. "And I want to get you into
the other room. We might find out something. And if you won't come
upstairs, I'll go alone."

"And leave me down here? I'll not stay!"

"Then come along. We'll investigate. We may find a clue, as they say
in books."

Alice drew back from the open door, and started for the inner room.
Ruth stood for a moment, uncertain what to do. She looked across the
glade, but the strange man was not in sight. He and his umbrella had
disappeared into the depths of the woods.

Just then there came another vivid flash of lightning, and such a
startling clap of thunder that Ruth, with a little scream, darted
back, and, springing across the room, clutched Alice by the arm.

"Oh, I'm so frightened!" she gasped.

"We'll be all right now--in the back room," soothed the younger girl.
"Oh, look! I believe that man does live here after all!"

For the room was furnished with some chairs, a table, and in one
corner was a cot bed, with the clothes tossed aside as if someone had
lately been sleeping there. There was a small stove in the room, and
pots, pans and dishes scattered about, as if meals had been recently
cooked. A cupboard gave hint of things to eat.

All this the girls took in by means of the rapid flashes of
lightning, for it was growing too dark to see well inside the cabin,
which was of logs, and with only small windows.

"Yes, he must live here," agreed Ruth. "Oh, I hope he doesn't come
back before the storm is over, so we can get away. You'll not go
upstairs now; will you, Alice, dear?" Ruth looked pleadingly at her
sister.

"No, I guess not," was the answer. "We couldn't see much, anyhow. And
if that man really lives here it wouldn't be exactly polite to go
about his place without a better invitation than we have. He spoke
truly when he called this his cabin."

"Unless he just found it empty and took the use of it without asking
the owner," suggested Ruth. "I wis