it."

The road they were taking was a short cut to school. There was a steep
hill--a level stretch, and then it joined the road from the school farm.
The snow was falling heavily, and it was getting dark when they reached
the top of the hill, and the prints were fast disappearing. By the time
they got to the road they lost all track.

"Whatever happened, Maud's home," Betty exclaimed in a relieved voice,
and broke into a run. The others followed her.

Mrs. Baird was walking up and down the Senior porch as they came up.

"Oh, girls! I'm so glad you're back; come in and take off those wet
clothes right away; Maud's here."

"Is she all right?" they asked in chorus.

"Yes," Mrs. Baird assured them. "She must have been in the building
when you started out."

"Where?" Betty demanded.

"In the bath-tub," Mrs. Baird said, hurriedly. "I'll explain it to you
later. Now do go and change; you must be very wet. I'll have some hot
soup for you in my sitting-room. Come as soon as you can. I'll excuse
you from study hour."

The girls hurried upstairs without a word. In Senior Alley they met
Fanny.

"Do you know where Maud Banks is?" Betty asked her.

"Yes; she's in her room," Fanny said; "where have you all--"

"Go up and tell her to come down here this minute," Betty interrupted
her; "please, Fanny, like a dear," she added as an afterthought.

Fanny went up to the corridor and returned with Maud.

Polly and Lois and Betty were all changing their clothes in their
separate rooms. Maud stood in the hall between, with the astonished
Fanny.

"Did you get lost?" Betty asked the first question.

"No, rather not," Maud answered; "got out as far as an apple orchard,
and it was awfully late. I'd no idea where the time went. I knew there
must be a short cut, so I--"

"Never mind, we know that," Polly interrupted. "Did you sit down in the
orchard?"

"As a matter of fact, I did; my snow shoe was loose. How did you know?"

"Were you dragging anything when you left the orchard?" Lois demanded.

"Yes, a branch of a tree; I say, I'm awfully sorry you had all that
trouble of--"

"Did you see a man's hat by any chance, on your way to the bridge?"
Betty asked.

"Yes." Maud was becoming more and more bewildered.

"What did you do when you got home?"

"Why, I hustled down to Roman Alley and took a tub. You see I was
awfully late, and I knew that Miss--what's her name--Spartan would be no
end cross if I didn't show up for th