"Oh, come with me and I will show you," said Paula.

Trustingly they followed Paula. But the brave girl, after a
half hour's vain effort, had to admit that she was puzzled herself and
did not know how to get out of the wood. Yetta showed the nearness of
tears, but Renestine set to work to extricate themselves. Before she
had decided what to do they all three heard horses' hoofs trampling
down bush-wood and dry twigs not far away. The riders, or whatever it
was, came nearer until the girls saw a young man on horseback, a boy
accompanying him. The horsemen reined in their horses and stopped when
they saw the girls standing before them. The older man, who was about
twenty-eight, asked how they came to be so far in the depth of the
trackless woods. When they had told him, he dismounted, throwing the
reins over his arm and leading his horse, he walked along by the side
of the girls guiding them out of their difficulty; the boy followed on
his horse which carried the saddle-bags containing the personal
belongings of both of them. As they walked many questions were asked
and answered and in a little time the woods were left behind and the.
girls were opening the gate of Renestine's sister's home. The young
rescuer, after seeing them safely disappear in the doorway, got on his
horse again and trotted off to his hotel, the boy following.


CHAPTER II

SEATED at her work table in her sitting room, Mrs. Bilter was putting
the last stitches in a white Swiss dress that Renestine was to wear
that night to a ball. The puff sleeve close to the shoulder was the
last of the dainty dress to be put on. Mrs. Bilter took eager pleasure