Ruth Fielding of the Red Mill; Or, Jasper Parloe's Secret

door, which was some yards from the gateway. Everybody seemed to have forgotten the girl, a

was a straight road. She arrived in the waiting room safely enough. Sam Curtis, th

ened? Is that boy re

r Doctor Davison had not finished examining him when I-I came away," she

he doctor's house,

," said R

there been anyb

ion master returned, some

Anybody fro

ist into his other

y that you was what J

the Red Mill, is my uncle,"

. And he asked me if there was anything here for him, and I told him no. And he stumped out again without another

ect, by her appearance, how hard a time she was having t

e continued. "They're country folk out there and they'd all be

" Ruth said, softly. "Is-is there any place I can stop ove

rl like you-You'll excuse me, Miss.

h. "I have a dollar. It was given me to spend as I liked on the way. But M

ent. He still stared at her, stroking his lean, shaven jaw. Finally he

in reply to his proposal. Besides, Sam Curtis hurried out on the platform. Nor was Ruth ready to assert her inde

tation without even coming into the waiting room. Then Curtis came back, putting out the lights

l-What's your nam

Fiel

ouse and wife will have supper waiting. A

nding grace, or was a person's name. But she asked no questions as

reached, on a narrow side street, a little, warm-looking cottage, from almost all the lower windows of which the lamplight shone cheerfully. There was a garden besid

and over again: "I don't want to! I don't want to! I don't want to!" It might have been a parrot, or some other ill-nat

he exclaimed, cheerfu

white hair, came forward. Ruth saw that she was some years younger than Curtis, and he

e asked espying Ruth. "One of

ame whining, sh

te 'em all! All girls do is to run and jump and play tag an

Ruth fell back a step, almost afraid to enter the pleasant room. But then she saw the white-haired lady's face, and it was so gr

fault-finding, shrill declamation of the unha

the Red Mill. And you know how funny Jabe is, wife? He came before the train, and did not wait, but drove right

th us to-night," declar

here to-night!" ejaculat

ge and pleasant. There was a comfortable look about it all. The supper table was set and the door was opened into the warm kitchen, from which d

ns drawn all about it. Beside it stood a wheel-chair such as Ruth knew was used by invalids who could not walk. I

as a chance to remove the traces of travel, Sam,"

n the sitting room-the voice of Mr. Curtis and the querulous one. But it was not so sharp and strained as it seemed before. However, on opening the

e station master as he drew his chair to the table an

y. All the time Ruth, who sat sideways to the canopied bed, realized that the curtains at the foot were drawn apart just a crack and that two very bright, pin-point eyes were watching her. So int

nd she felt diffident about asking Mrs. Curtis about her. The young traveler slept soundly-almost from the moment her head touched the pillow. Yet her last thought was of Uncle Jabez. He had been in town some time before the train on which she arrived was due and had driven

lad had murmured, and these words were wov

ed the sitting room she found an occupant at last in the little wheel-chair. It was the sharp, pale little face that confronted her above the warm wrapper

ll-natured one. She made a very unpleasant face at the visitor, r

u at all-I tell

replied Ruth, gently. "I think I

ery unpleasant, but muc

previous evening. Once during breakfast time (Mercy took hers from a tray that was fastened to her chair before her) the child burst out again, speaki

the worst wish I'd

tated to reply. But Mercy did not exp

ning for breakfast two soft fried eggs with

ade Ruth good-bye very kindly when he hurried away to the station, and Mrs. Curtis urged

lroad tracks and struck into the same street she had followed with the searching party the evening before. She could not mistake Doctor Davison's house when she passed it, an

she went on with her small bag-the bag that grew heavy, despite its smallness, as she progressed. And so she traveled two miles, or more

nown the girl who sat at the steering wheel and was driving the car alone, even had Reno, the big mastiff, not sat in g

chine. Reno, too, lost all semblance of dignity and would not wait for the car

d the girl in the automobi

her brother's olive complexion with plenty of color in cheeks and lips. And that her nature was impulsive and frank t

us all about you-and how brave you are! And see how fond Ren

on has been too kind. I did nothing at all toward fin

must be! And I was running back and intended to stop at the Red Mill to see you. I took father to

then-your brother, I me

no bone was broken, after all. His head is badly cut, but his hair will hide that. Poor Tom! he is always falling down, or gettin

o fall over that bank?

ow as he really told me what made him do such a foolish thing.

thought somebody had come for yon and taken you ou

er's uncle. And I ha

ed the girl from the automobile. "And now we will

endlessness, or sorry because she was related to