d her that she
would not have to bear the burden alone.

So they started, as Dolly had suggested, walking along through the
woods, perhaps a hundred feet back from the road. They could not be seen
themselves, but, by moving to the side of the little rise or bank along
the road from time to time, they were able to see what was going on. For
most of the distance they were unable to see anything at all. The road
seemed to be little used, and they passed only one house on the way to
the trolley station.

They had warning of their approach to the trolley some time before it
was in sight, too, when they heard the wires singing as a car passed
along.

"Now we're getting near the place," said Dolly, happily. "Oh, but it's
going to be fun, Bessie! You're just going to let me run things now for
a little while, for a change. I've got a splendid plan--and I'll tell
you about it in good time."

As they neared the trolley line the woods began to get somewhat thinner,
and Dolly grew nervous.

"I hope the ground isn't too clear around the track, Bessie," she said.
"That wouldn't be good for my plan at all."

But her fears were groundless, for, as it turned out, the trolley line
ran right through the woods on their side of the road, although on the
other side the trees had all been cleared away. Soon they saw a little
shed, and a bench outside. And on the bench, watching the road in the
direction from which they had come, sat Jake Hoover.

"Now, listen," said Dolly. "Jake doesn't know me, you see, and I'm going
right out there and talk to him. I bet he'll be glad to talk to me, too,
and I'll keep him busy, so that you can sneak over the tracks and get
to the other side. Then you wait there until you hear a car coming.
See? And when it comes, get on from the other side. I'll be holding
Jake's attention, and I don't believe he'll ever see you at all. I'll
get aboard, too, and you can manage so that he won't be able to see you
on the car. Even if he does, I don't believe the men would let him touch
you, but he won't, until the car begins to move, and then it will be
too late."

"But, Dolly, do you think you can keep Jake Hoover quiet? Suppose he
knows you, he'd suspect right away that I was in the neighborhood. And
then there's another thing. Mr. Holmes may have told him what sort of
clothes you are wearing."

"I never thought of that, Bessie. That's so. Oh, I know! You change
dresses with me, right here. He's so stupid that he