e doesn't seem to be a girl
who has lived with really bad people."

Ruth could not satisfy herself that it would be either right or wise to
go in and awaken Miss Kate, or even the butler. But she could not bring
herself to the point of going to bed, either, while Nita was out on the
water.

She couldn't think of sleep, anyway. Not until the catboat came back
to the dock did she move out of the shadow of the boathouse. And it was
long past one o'clock when this occurred. The breeze had freshened, and
the _Jennie S._ had to tack several times before the boatman made the
moorings.

The starlight gave such slight illumination that Ruth could not see who
was in the boat. The sail was dropped, the boat moored, and then, after
a bit, she heard a heavy step upon the dock. Only one person came toward
her.

Ruth peered anxiously out of the shadow. A man slouched along the dock
and reached the shell road. He turned east, moving away toward the
lighthouse. It was Jack Crab.

"And Nita is not with him!" gasped Ruth. "What has he done with her?
Where has he taken her in the boat? What does it mean?"

She dared not run after Crab and ask him. She was really afraid of the
man. His secret communication with Nita was no matter to be blurted
out to everybody, she was sure. Nita had gone to meet him of her own
free will. She was not obliged to sail away with Crab in the catboat.
Naturally, the supposition was that she had decided to remain away from
the bungalow of her own intention, too.

"It is not my secret," thought Ruth. "She was merely a visitor here.
Miss Kate, even, had no command over her actions. She is not responsible
for Nita--none of us is responsible.

"I only hope she won't get into any trouble through that horrid Jack
Crab. And it seems so ungrateful for Nita to walk out of the house
without saying a word to Heavy and Miss Kate.

"I'd best keep my own mouth shut, however, and let things take their
course. Nita wanted to go away, or she would not have done so. She seemed
to have no fear of Jack Crab; otherwise she would not have met him at
night and gone away with him.

"Ruth Fielding! you mind your own business," argued the girl of the
Red Mill, finally going back toward the silent house. "At least, wait
until we see what comes of this before you tell everything you know."

And so deciding, she crept into the house, locked the door again, got
into her room without disturbing any of the other girls, and so to b