felt as if she would drop down. "Out
early," he said, peering into her frightened face.

"Yes, is that time right?" she asked on the spur of the moment,
thinking to divert his attention from her face.

He looked up at the big clock. "If it was right--it wouldn't be here,"
he replied with a laugh. "But don't get lost. You are on duty at
seven," he went on, "but I guess a sniff of air won't do you any harm.
We all take what we can get in that line."

"Yes," and Dorothy tried to smile. He had not discovered her! But when
Miss Bell reached the room----

Oh, if she could only fly--over those big stone walls. But the outside
was even more closely guarded than was the inside, especially since
two patients had so lately escaped.

Down the steps went the trembling girl. How splendid it was in the
fresh morning air!

"And if I can only get a message back to camp," she was thinking.
"What will happen to dear father if I am not soon discovered?"

Over the stone walk she sped. She glanced down the path. The front
gate was impossible. Back of the institution she saw a great
barn--then water! Oh, if she could but pass the stablemen. They would
not be as keen to suspect as would be the guards.

Every one seemed busy. They were cleaning the horses, and fixing up
the big stables. Merry morning words floated through the air, and it
seemed to Dorothy that her presence, that of a nurse, as they
supposed, was always the signal for some joke, or some frivolous
remark. But there was no harm in this, she thought. Inside of stone
walls everybody must be akin.

"Hello, there!" called a rather young man, who in shirt sleeves, was
rubbing down a horse. "Where are you going so early?"

Dorothy scarcely dared answer. But fate saved her, for at that moment
the horse took fright at something and broke away from its post.

Instantly there was confusion, and Dorothy was forgotten. Up on the
terrace were patients out in the air with guards, and in that
direction dashed the horse, while every man from the stable ran after
it.

This left Dorothy almost free.

She saw a summer-house on the edge of a lake. Yes, and there was a
canoe!

What a chance!

She shoved that canoe over the smooth grass, straight for the water.
The paddles were inside, and Dorothy knew that once she was upon the
water she could escape.

Shouts from the terrace almost stunned her. She pushed the canoe into
the stream, slid into the frail bark, and started off, just