These preparations ended, she retired to rest.
She awoke long before daylight, and dressing herself in a dark street dress, she sat down by the window to wait for the dawn.
She penned that little note to Mrs. Blunt the last thing before leaving the house. The woman had been so kind to her that she could not find it in her heart to go away without a single word of farewell; to the others she gave not a thought.
As soon as it was light enough, she stole softly down stairs and out at the front door, as it was nearer, and, besides, some of the servants might be up if she went out the back way, and turned her back forever upon the house in which she had only been “tolerated.”
When she reached the lodge, she found Mr. Rosevelt waiting for her on the vine-covered porch.
He smiled a silent good-morning, motioning her not to speak, with a gesture which told her that John Mellen’s wife was not far off; and together they went out from the grounds by a side gate and proceeded toward the station.
They were in time for the early morning train, and reached New York long before the household which they had left behind were aware of their flight.
“We will go to some quiet street and board for a few days,” Mr. Rosevelt said, as they sat down in the waiting-room of the station to consult upon what was best to be done. “You must not lose a day of school if you can help it. I know just the place for us, I think, where there is a good, motherly soul of a landlady. Perhaps she will know of some rooms which we can obtain at a reasonable price until you graduate, and then, perhaps, you may not care to remain in New York.”
Star assented to this plan, and they repaired to the boarding-place which Mr. Rosevelt had mentioned, and found the “good, motherly soul” very willing to take them in.
After partaking of a simple but wholesome breakfast, Star went at once to Brooklyn, and had an interview with Professor Roberts, as we already know.