h we knew more about him."

"So do I," agreed Alice. "I wonder if he really had to go away in the
storm, or whether he knew we would not come in the cabin while he was
here, and so made an excuse to leave it to us alone?"

"If he did that it certainly was very kind of him," said Ruth.

"Perhaps he is bashful and shy," observed Alice. "He ran before, when
he saw us on the bridge, and now he runs away and leaves us his
house--such as it is. Clearly there is some mystery about him. Oh,
listen to the rain!"

Indeed the storm was at its height now, and the girls were glad of
the shelter of the cabin. As the man had said, there was a leak
somewhere in the roof, and they could hear the steady drip, drip of
water falling. But they did not see it, and the cabin seemed quite
dry. It was a shelter from the wind, too, which was now blowing
fiercely, bending the trees before the might of its blast.

But, like all summer showers, this was not destined to last long. Its
fury kept up a little longer, and then began to die away. Gradually
the lightning grew less vivid, and the flashes were farther apart.
The thunder rumbled less heavily and the rain slackened. The girls
went to the entrance room and gazed out.

"We can start soon," spoke Ruth. "It may sound a selfish thing to
say, but I wish that man had left us his umbrella. We'll get quite
wet going home, for the water will drip from the trees for some
time."

"Perhaps he'll come back and offer us the use of it," suggested
Alice.

"Don't you dare say such a thing!" exclaimed her sister. "Oh, I wish
we were home! I'm afraid daddy will worry."

"I wish there was a fire in that stove," spoke Alice, musingly. "I'd
make some coffee, if I could find any. I'm quite chilly. We are wet
through, and can't be made much worse by not having a umbrella. I'm
going to look and see if I can find some coffee."

"Alice, don't!" objected Ruth, but her sister was already in the rear
room, and, not wanting to be left alone, Ruth followed. But, before
either of the girls had time to look about and see if it were
possible to kindle a blaze in the old stove, they heard a noise in
the room they had just left. It was the patter, as of bare feet, on
the wooden floor. Startled, the two gazed at one another. Then they
clasped their arms about each other's waists.

"Did--did you hear that?" whispered Ruth.

Alice nodded, and looked over her sister's shoulder toward the door
between the two rooms.