Ruth had been watching the girl with an intent interest. Now she rose quickly from her chair.
“You may be right, my dear,” she said. “Anyway, I thank you for what you have told me, and for what you, Mary, have done for me, and I will try to help you both as much as I possibly can.”
“Oh, but you are not going so soon?” cried Ellen. “I thought perhaps you might stay and keep us company for a little.”
“No, I must go back now!” Ruth spoke quickly, almost feverishly. With Bloomberg in the neighborhood she had the instinct to return to her company as quickly as possible. “I will come to see you again as often as I can and speak to friends about you, and you must come and watch us sometimes at our work.”
“Work!” they cried.
“What kind of work do you do?” added Mary.
Ruth saw that she would not be able to get away without some sort of explanation, so she wisely compromised.
“Show me to the road and point out my way back to Knockout Point,” she said, “and I will explain to you about my work as we go.”
As the road was near and nothing could possibly happen in the little time they would be away from the cabin, both the Chase girls accompanied Ruth.
“Oh, will you let us come and watch you some time if we can find some one to stay at the cabin while we are away?” asked Ellen, the words stumbling over each other in her eagerness, after the tale was told.