ed
and finally to sleep, being little the wiser for her midnight escapade.

CHAPTER XIX

THE GOBLINS' GAMBOL

Helen awoke Ruth in the morning with the question that was bound to echo
and re-echo through the bungalow for that, and subsequent days:

"Where is Nita?"

Ruth could truthfully answer: "I do not know."

Nor did anybody else know, or suspect, or imagine. What had happened in
the night was known only to Ruth and she had determined not to say a word
concerning it unless she should be pointedly examined by Miss Kate, or
somebody else in authority.

Nobody else had heard or seen Nita leave the bungalow. Indeed, nobody had
heard Ruth get up and go out, either. The catboat rocked at its moorings,
and there was no trace of how Nita had departed.

As to _why_ she had gone so secretly--well, that was another matter. They
were all of the opinion that the runaway was a very strange girl. She
had gone without thanking Miss Kate or Heavy for their entertainment.
She was evidently an ungrateful girl.

These opinions were expressed by the bulk of the party at the bungalow.
But Ruth and Helen and the latter's brother had their own secret about
the runaway. Helen had been shown the paper Tom had found. She and Tom
were convinced that Nita was really Jane Ann Hicks and that she had been
frightened away by Jack Crab. Crab maybe had threatened her.

On this point Ruth could not agree. But she could not explain her reason
for doubting it without telling more than she wished to tell; therefore
she did not insist upon her own opinion.

In secret she read over again the article in the newspaper about the lost
Jane Ann Hicks. Something she had not noticed before now came under her
eye. It was at the end of the article--at the bottom of the last column
on the page:

"Old Bill certainly means to find Jane Ann if he can. He has told
Chief Penhampton, of Bullhide, to spare no expense. The old man says
he'll give ten good steers--or five hundred dollars in hard money--for
information leading to the apprehension and return of Jane Ann. And
he thinks some of starting for the East himself to hunt her up if he
doesn't hear soon."

"That poor old man," thought Ruth, "really loves his niece. If I was
sure Nita was the girl told of here, I'd be tempted to write to Mr.
Hicks myself."

But there was altogether too much to do at Lighthouse Point for the
young folks to spend much time worrying about Nita. Phineas said that
so