t I don't think they'd move."

"It isn't likely," assented Marjorie.

It was two o'clock when they arrived at the Brubaker farm. The front
door opened, and Mrs. Brubaker appeared.

"Well, of all things!" she exclaimed, recognizing Miss Phillips and
Marjorie in the car. "This surely is a surprise!"

When they were all comfortably seated before the open fire, Mr.
Wilkinson explained their mission, and the good woman seemed amazed at
their news.

"We had no idea Frieda wasn't still at school. Her mother never said a
word. Oh, I'm so sorry!"

They talked a little while, and then leaving her father with Mr.
Brubaker, Marjorie and her Captain proceeded toward the tenant house
where the Hammers lived.

Mrs. Hammer did not recognize them at first. Then Miss Phillips
explained.

"We want to know if you have any news of Frieda, Mrs. Hammer," she said,
very politely.

"Come in," invited the older woman, holding open the door a little
wider.

"We haven't heard a word since she ran away," continued Miss Phillips,
as soon as they were inside, "except that a friend of mine saw a girl
answering her description in New York."

"That's where she is, I reckon," assented Mrs. Hammer, "but that's all I
know. From her onct in a while I get a letter, and can write to her care
of--what d'ye call it?--general delivery. But I can't write very good."

"Oh, may we see the letters?" asked Marjorie, eagerly.

"Yes--I don't mind. You people sure treated her white. I don't know
what's got into her."

The woman crossed the room, which was untidy and dirty, and pulled out a
drawer in the table. There, among heterogeneous trash, Marjorie noticed
several letters. Mrs. Hammer tossed them into Miss Phillips's lap.

"You can read them all," she said, "while I go look to the baby."

Miss Phillips noticed Marjorie's excitement, and politely handed her the
letters--there were three of them,--which the girl opened with trembling
fingers. Apparently, all of them were short.

"This must be the first," she said, and read aloud,

"DEAR MA,

"I ran away in that girl's bot becaus a girl insulted me. I brot my
clothes and a pencil and I stayed at an empty hous to-night.

"FRIEDA."

Marjorie put the paper back into the envelope with a sigh.

"That doesn't tell us a whole lot, does it?" she observed. "Except that
we know now for sure that the girl that old woman described at the empty
house was Frieda."

"But what doe