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.
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