The Corner House Girls Under Canvas / How they reached Pleasant Cove and what happened afterward

ird-story room in the old Corner House, to be of any assistance at this midn

uealed Tess, leaping o

im!" cried Agnes, savage

lit, but foggy night. She could see

r feet into shoes, too, and started downstairs. Mrs. MacCall's wind

o! Get out

"get out of there." The dog's threatening growls did not cease, and the man

front rooms in the main part of the house, did not even hear all the disturbance. And there were not any

to arouse many people. But when Ruth and Agnes reached out-of-doors, the

Neil!" she cried to

iceman," said Ruth, run

f you searched for a week of Sundays," was the younger girl's ambiguous st

squawked. Billy Bumps began to blat and butt the partition in his pen. Whoev

m. Agnes was as lightly dressed as herself; but it was a wa

on the roof, clinging with b

lder girl gasped in Agnes' ear. "Maybe-maybe

pluck, too. "Come on, Ruth!" she s

avered Ruth. "I-I am a

rls turn. There were Dot and Tess, both barefooted, and Dot with merely a

" gasped Ruth. "What

that man," Tess declared, and kept

creamed Ruth, and ran a

re was sprawled on the roof, clinging with both hands to the ridge of it. The girls obtain

og away!" the man said

psies," whispered Agn

day or two before, and the girls had been frightened by the appear

w that he looked like a Gypsy. For another reason, too, her mind was r

s though satisfied that he had done his duty in drawing the family to the scene. But

g up there?" Ruth

y dog!" h

ld you till a policeman comes. You

u wrong. No do that

you doing h

e, a shout came from beyond the back fence, and someb

rls?" demanded Neale O

" cried Agnes. "Tom Jo

asant-faced boy of fifteen, who i

nced Tess. "He's j

ked from the savagely growling animal to the ma

hat the dog is very 'nice.' Where did you

ravely. "At least, we'll tell you all we know about the dear ol

exclaimed Neale, finding a bag of flopp

begged the man

d Agnes. "I bet he has a knife.

reed Neale. "What we

policeman," s

led Neale. "To awaken a Milton officer at this hour

we do?" de

sensibly for a few moments.

use, Neale. If he ever comes again he will know what to expect. He tho

ster?" whispered Agnes. "O

for once I am going to shirk my duty. W

away?" demanded

e, opened it, and dumped the fowl out. Tom Jonah evidently recognized him for a

th. "I hadn't though

ah!" said Neale, sn

ained ready to receive the Gypsy (if such t

ed Agnes, confidently. "C

ed and Tom Jonah stiffe

call a cop after all,"

d Ruth. "Come away. Y

think so. He held hi

ll daylight-or a policeman-doth appear, my

" begged the fr

nd putting a hand on his collar. "You must come away when you

hand. Then he moved a few step

" commanded the little girl,

ow about that?"

of a shade tree that stood near the fence, and swinging himself like a cat into th

ed in a minute, and the little party of half-dressed young folk went back to their beds, while the stran

something about the Corner House girls, their friends, their c

to the little tenement on Essex Street, Bloomingsburg, where the four orphaned Kenway girls had lived for some years with A

ion to get along on. Aunt Sarah claimed that when Uncle Peter died, his great estate would natural

his property to the four girls in trust, and to Aunt Sarah only a small legacy. But this wil

rt allowed Mr. Howbridge to take the Kenway girls and Aunt Sarah to Milton and e

ny interesting and exciting things had ha

pretty girl, for she had "stringy" black hair and little color; but her eyes were big and brown, and those eyes, and

s colored hair" as she said herself, and was the possessor of a pair of blue eyes that could stare a rude boy out of countenance, but who would spoil the effect of this th

ossessed some of Ruth's dignity and some of Agnes' prettiness, and the most tender heart in

if she was not very wise as yet, she was faithful and lovable, and not one of "the Corner

a little house the yard of which adjoined the larger grounds of the old Corner House. We have se

rculean Circus and Menagerie. The boy's desire for an education and to win a better place in the world for himsel

as they who influenced the man against taking Neale away. Neale had proved himself an excellent scholar and had

the first two volumes of the series, entitled respectively, "

hennery, she had something of wonderful importance to tell Ruth. She had seen her "particu

ve, Ruthie?" said Agnes, earnestly. "You know Mr.

enough about it," sai

don't lik

here was a time when you thought her yo

. She says her mother and father will let her bring all four of us to the Cove for the first fortnight aft

began Ruth, but Ag

ay! Don't you say 'No!' I've just mad

th again." "We have talked of going there for a part of the summer. A change to salt air will be

l, t

bility of accepting Tri

n't that

l we will stay at the hotel a while. Pearl Harrod's uncle owns a bungalow

agreed Agnes. "Then we

accept the hospitality offered us wh

Ruth! don't

gested Ruth. "Many of our friends and their folks are going there. N

s, with sparkling eyes. Her anticipation of eve

ut it was something for the others t