et out to catch the train for Deer
Crossing. It's marked Tecumseh. And it's a funny thing, but the railroad
is in the other state, and the trolley car stops in this one. Do you
see? When we get off the car we'll still be in this state, but it won't
take more than a minute to cross the line. Mr. Holmes told Jake he'd be
waiting there, so we must look out."

"Oh, Bessie, are you sure? Wouldn't it be dreadful to have escaped this
far, and then be caught just when everything seemed to be all right?
I'd rather have been held up by Jake Hoover, I do believe! And I thought
everything was all right now."

"Well, there's no use getting discouraged. We're much better off than we
were when we were in the car, Dolly, and we got out of that mess. So we
might as well try to think that we'll be all right, anyhow. Oh, I just
thought of something! Is there a station on this trolley line before we
come to Tecumseh?"

They looked eagerly at the map, but disappointment was their lot. There
was no station between the one where they had boarded the car and
Tecumseh. But Dolly had an idea again, just as they had about decided
that they would have to take their chances with Holmes at Tecumseh.

"Doesn't this car ever slow down at all between stations?" she asked the
conductor, smiling and looking as attractive as she could.

"Well, that depends," said the conductor, returning the smile. "If a
passenger's got a pull with me or the motorman, it might. Why?"

"Because if we go to Tecumseh, we'll only have to walk back nearly half
a mile to that road that crosses the track. Couldn't you let us off
there, Mr. Conductor?"

"Well, I don't run the car," he said, with a smile. "But I'll talk to
Hank, the motorman. Never knew him to refuse anything a lady asked yet."

He walked to the front of the car, and returned a moment later.

"Hank says he's got to stop at that road today," he reported, with
a grin. "It's against the rules, you know, to make stops except at
stations, or to let passengers off. But the car has to stop sometimes,
just the same, and if you should happen to drop off, I won't see you--I
won't be looking. You move back to the door, and be ready, and I'll stay
up in front with Hank. Then I won't be to blame, you see, if you should
happen to get off when the car stops."

"Thank you ever so much," said the two girls, together. "It's awfully
good of you--"

"Don't be thanking me," grinned the conductor. "The car'll be stopping
b