"We ain't goin' to cheat the girl, but--I dunno." Whittle stood
aside, shaking his head, and Jim passed on. He loitered along the
shaggy hedge which bordered the old Bolton estate, and a little
farther, then turned back. He had reached the house again when he
started. In front of the gate stood a shadowy figure, a woman, by the
outlines of the dress. Jim continued hesitatingly. He feared to
startle her. But he did not. When he came abreast of her, she turned
and looked full in his face, and he recognized Miss Orr. He took off
his hat, but was so astonished he could scarcely utter a greeting.
The girl was so shy that she stammered a little, but she laughed too,
like a child caught in some mischief.

"Oh, I am so glad it is you!" she said.

"Well, taking all things into consideration, so am I," said Jim.

"You mean--?"

"I mean it is pretty late for you to be out alone, and I'm as good as
a Sunday School picnic, with the superintendent and the minister
thrown in, for you to meet. I'll see you home."

"Goodness! There's nothing to be afraid of in this little place,"
said the girl. "I have lived in New York."

"Where there are policemen."

"Oh, yes, but one never counts on that. One never counts on anything
in New York. You can't, you know. Its mathematics are as high as its
buildings, too high to take chances. But here--why, I saw pretty near
the whole village at that funny fair, didn't I?"

"Well, yes, but Brookville is not a walled town. People not so
desirable as those you saw at the fair have free entrance and egress.
It is pretty late."

"I am not in the least afraid," said the girl.

"You have no reason to be, now."

"You mean because you have happened along. Well, I am glad you did. I
begun to think it was rather late myself for me to be prowling
around, but you will simply have to leave me before I get to my
boarding house. That Mrs. Black is as kind as can be, but she doesn't
know what to make of me, and on the whole I think I would rather take
my chances stealing in alone than to have her spy you."

"If you wanted to come out, why didn't you ask the minister to come
with you?" Jim asked bluntly.

"The minister! Oh, I don't like ministers when they are young. They
are much better when all the doctrines they have learned at their
theological seminaries have settled in their minds, and have stopped
bubbling. However, this minister here seems rather nice, very young,
but he doesn't give the impress