“There, there, my dear, you mustn’t cry. I am afraid I hurt you.”
While the girl was choking back her tears and at the same time endeavoring to tell them in a broken voice that things at home had been unbearable, Billie and Elinor, who were facing the entrance, saw a very tall, black figure darken the doorway. Only for a moment he stood there, a great square shouldered, ungainly man who gave the impression of having been carved out of a block of wood, from the straight folds of his black Prince Albert coat to his square cut iron gray beard, which had once been black. The only live thing about him appeared to be his fiery dark eyes, which now took them all in with one sweeping, comprehensive glance.
The two girls almost shuddered and felt a certain relief when he promptly withdrew from the door.
“Won’t you come to our rooms and tell us all about it, dear?” Miss Campbell was saying. “Perhaps we can help you and at least I can take you under my protection while we are here.”
“You are under arrest, Miss. Don’t make no noise and I won’t make none,” said a sharp shrill whispering voice behind them, and a long skinny hand was thrust into their midst, grasping the runaway by her arm.
“Let me go! How dare you?” she exclaimed, a flood of color rushing into her cheeks.
“Now, don’t make no scene,” said a shabby, unkempt looking individual. “You know who wants you as well as I do. He’s there in the hall, and you know mighty well he’s not goin’ to let you go this time.”
“Oh, save me! save me!” whispered the girl, hiding her face on Miss Campbell’s shoulder.
The little lady drew herself up to her full height of five feet two inches and glared at the man.
“This young lady has placed herself under my protection, sir, and I refuse to have her annoyed. Will you please leave the room?”