ankment they paused, and the girl, with her hand at
her throat, looked backward with a shudder. She seemed like a young bird
that could scarcely tell which way to fly.

Without an instant's hesitation, the young man raised his hand and hailed
a four-wheeler across the street.

"Come this way, quick!" he urged, helping her in. He gave the driver his
home address and stepped in after her. Then, turning, he faced his
companion, and was suddenly keenly aware of the strange situation in which
he had placed himself.

"Can you tell me what is the matter," he asked, "and where you would like
to go?"

The girl had scarcely recovered breath from the long climb and the fright,
and she answered him in broken phrases.

"No, I cannot tell you what is the matter"--she paused and looked at him,
with a sudden comprehension of what he might be thinking about
her--"but--there is nothing--that is--I have done nothing wrong--" She
paused again and looked up with eyes whose clear depths, he felt, could
hide no guile.

"Of course," he murmured with decision, and then wondered why he felt so
sure about it.

"Thank you," she said. Then, with frightened perplexity: "I don't know
where to go. I never was in this city before. If you will kindly tell me
how to get somewhere--suppose to a railroad station--and yet--no, I have
no money--and"--then with a sudden little movement of dismay--"and I have
no hat! Oh!"

The young man felt a strong desire to shield this girl so unexpectedly
thrown on his mercy. Yet vague fears hovered about the margin of his
judgment. Perhaps she was a thief or an adventuress. It might be that he
ought to let her get out of the odd situation she appeared to be in, as
best she might. Yet even as the thought flashed through his mind he seemed
to hear an echo of her words, "I saw you were a gentleman," and he felt
incapable of betraying her trust in him.

The girl was speaking again: "But I must not trouble you any more. You
have been very kind to get me out of that dreadful place. If you will
just stop the carriage and let me out, I am sure I can take care of
myself."

"I could not think of letting you get out here alone. If you are in
danger, I will help you." The warmth of his own words startled him. He
knew he ought to be more cautious with a stranger, but impetuously he
threw caution to the winds. "If you would just tell me a little bit about
it, so that I should know what I ought to do for you----"

"Oh, I