In the city of the lakes it was necessary for them to change trains for points still farther West. Tom had secured a compartment for the girls on the second train, as well, so that the change was actually only a matter of shifting their baggage and themselves from one train to another.
But when they were on the platform and just about to board the Seattle train, Helen suddenly hissed a sentence in Ruth’s ears that made the latter stand still as though she had been shot.
“That’s our old friend Charlie Reid, Ruthie! Look quickly! Directly back of you!”
CHAPTER IX
CHARLIE AGAIN?
Ruth looked, but not in time to see the face of the person Helen pointed out. To be sure, the back looked familiar and the walk was strongly reminiscent of Charlie Reid. But she could not be sure.
“Wasn’t it?” hissed Helen, as at the heels of their porter, the boys bundled them into the train.
Ruth was flushed and excited. She shook her head.
“I only saw his back, Helen. I—don’t know!”
No more was said about it until the girls were safely established in their new quarters and Chess and Tom had excused themselves to find their own seats in the sleeper.
“I’m sure it was Charlie Reid, Ruth,” said Helen then. She herself was tremendously excited, though her emotion was of a different kind from Ruth’s. To Helen this unlooked-for appearance of Charlie Reid—if indeed it were he—meant a break in the monotony of the train trip and a little added interest in things in general. While to Ruth, the possibility that they had been trailed so far by Charlie Reid meant only one thing. And that was that Sol Bloomberg was still determined on harming her in some way.