that the boy had it in his mind to escape. She did not wish to arouse
Uncle Jabez. Nor did she wish the strange boy to depart so secretly.

Mr. Cameron expected to find him here when he came in the morning,
she was sure. Although Mr. Cameron only supposed him an ordinary
runaway, and perhaps wished to advise him to return to his mother,
Ruth knew well that Fred Hatfield's was no ordinary case of
vagabondage.

Ruth hesitated on the stairs for some minutes. Uncle Jabez snored.
There was no further movement from the boy on the couch.

She was growing very cold. Ruth could not remain there on the stairs
to guard the boy all night. Something desperate had to be done--and
something very desperate she did!

She unlatched the door again as quietly as possible. She pushed it
open far enough to slip through into the kitchen. There was no
movement from the boy--not a sound. Nor did Ruth dare even look in
his direction.

She crept across the kitchen floor to the stove. She reached the
garments hung upon the chair backs. She selected one and withdrew in
a hurry to the staircase, and so ran up to her room.

"There!" she thought, shutting her door and breathing heavily. "If
he wants to run away he can; but he'll have to go without his
trousers!"