"Oh, he is so rough and strong--he may hurt Ralph," whispered Tavia, too
frightened to trust her own voice.

It seemed a long time to the girls, but Ralph was back in the room with
them in a very few minutes.

"There was no one in the hall," he said, "and I looked up and down the
street. No one--no stranger seemed to be in sight."

"Well, I was just coming up the stairs, and I couldn't see from the sun,
when some one grabbed me," Tavia explained.

"Oh, Tavia!" interrupted Dorothy.

"Yes, indeed, a great big horrid man, with a hat over his eyes, and oh,
he was dreadful!" and poor Tavia began to tremble again.

Ralph had his coat on now. That man should not get away!

"But you can't leave us," begged the girls. "He might break the door
in."

"Then come down stairs and we will lock up. I must telephone to Squire
Sanders."

"He isn't home," Tavia declared. "I saw him drive out as I went up
William Street."

But Ralph insisted on giving the alarm.