at
I am suddenly called away to a friend in trouble. If Aunt Rhoda returns
soon tell her I will call her up later and let her know my plans. That is
all. I will be down in two or three minutes and I wish to start without
delay!"

Mary departed on her errand and Ruth went to the telephone and called up
the Cameron number.

The sadness of the answering voice struck her even in her haste. Her own
tone was eager, intimate, as she hastened to convey her message.

"Mrs. Cameron, this is Ruth Macdonald. Has your son left yet? I was
wondering if he would care to be taken to the train in our car?"

"Oh! he has _just gone_!" came a pitiful little gasp that had a sob at
the end of it. "He went in somebody's car and they were late coming. I'm
afraid he is going to miss his train and he has got to get it or he will
be in trouble! That is the last train that connects with Wilmington."

Ruth's heart leaped to her opportunity.

"Suppose we try to catch him then," proposed Ruth gleefully. "My car can
go pretty fast, and if he has missed the train perhaps we can carry him
on to Wilmington. Would you like to try?"

"Oh, could we?" the voice throbbed with eagerness.

"Hurry up then. My car is all ready. I'll be down there in three minutes.
We've no time to waste. Put on something warm!"

She hung up the receiver without waiting for further reply, and hurried
softly out of the room and down the back stairs.

Thomas was well trained. The cars were always in order. He was used to
Ruth's hurry calls, and when she reached the garage she found the car
standing in the back street waiting for her. In a moment more she was
rushing on her way toward the village without having aroused the
suspicion of the two men who so impatiently awaited her return. Mrs.
Cameron was ready, eager as a child, standing on the sidewalk with a
great blanket shawl over her arm and looking up the street for her.

It was not until they had swept through the village, over the bridge, and
were out on the broad highway toward Chester that Ruth began to realize
what a wild goose chase she had undertaken. Just where did she expect to
find them, anyway? It was now three minutes to five by the little clock
in the car and it was a full fifteen minutes' drive to Chester. The plan
had been to delay him on the way to the train, and there had been mention
of a short cut. Could that be the rough stony road that turned down
sharply just beyond the stone quarry? It seemed har