“I’m not telling you that,” replied the runaway, shortly.
“Then you prefer to go under a false name–even among your friends?” asked the girl from the Red Mill.
“How do I know you’re my friends?” demanded Nita, promptly.
“We can’t very well be your enemies,” said Helen, in some disgust.
“I don’t know. Anybody’s my enemy who wants to send me back–well, anyone who wants to return me to the place I came from.”
“Was it an institution?” asked Mary Cox quickly.
“What’s that?” demanded Nita, puzzled. “What do you mean by an ‘institution’?”
“She means a sort of school,” explained Ruth.
“Yes!” exclaimed The Fox, sharply. “A reform school, or something of the kind. Maybe an almshouse.”
“Never heard of ’em,” returned Nita, unruffled by the insinuation. “Guess they don’t have ’em where I come from. Did you go to one, Miss?”