to know what to do next. He took off his
dripping coat, threw it in a heap in one corner and turned back
uncertainly to the girls.

"No, I don't think it will stop raining for some time," he said, seeming
to realize that Billie had asked a question which he had not answered.
"And it is getting pretty dark outside. You say you are lost?"

"Yes," said Billie, wishing she had not told the man that part of their
troubles; but then, what else could she do? "We were sent into the woods
to find rare ferns----"

"Ferns!" broke in the man, his deep eyes lighting up with sudden
interest. "Ah, I could show you where the rarest and most beautiful ferns
in the country grow."

"You could!" they cried, growing interested in their turn and coming
closer to him.

"Are you--a--naturalist?" asked Vi a little uncertainly, for she knew
just enough about naturalists to be sure she was not one.

"I guess you might call me that," said the man. "I've had plenty of time
to become one."

Again the girls had that strange feeling of mystery surrounding the man.
He walked over to the other end of the room and before the girls' amazed
eyes took out what they had thought to be part of the table.

It was a very cleverly hidden receptacle, and as the girls looked down
into it they saw that it was half filled with curious little fern
baskets.

"I make them," the man explained, as they looked up at him, puzzled. "And
then I sell them in the town--sometimes."

His mouth tightened bitterly, and he hastily returned the baskets to
their hiding place. Then he turned and faced them abruptly.

"Where do you come from?" he asked almost sharply.

"We come from Three Towers Hall," answered Billie.

"Three Towers!" The man looked very much interested. "Are you--er--teachers
there or pupils?"

"Teachers! Hardly," and Billie had to smile. "We are not old enough for
that. We are pupils."

"Do you like the place?'"

"Very much."

Again there was a pause, and it must be admitted that, for a reason they
could not explain, the girls felt far from comfortable. Oh, if only they
were back at the boarding school again!

"I don't know a great deal about the school," said the man slowly. "I
suppose there are lots of girls there."

"Over a hundred," said Laura, thinking she should say something.

"And quite a few teachers, too?"

"Oh, yes."

Then the man asked quite a lot of other questions and the girls answered
him as best they could. The man cont