"Captain Leahy, I'm going to take that midnight train to Richmond. Will you flag it for me?"
"And sure I'll do anything to please the ladies, but aren't ye young and tinder to be after taking such a thrip at this toime o' night?"
"But I have to go. I could never go back to Gresham now, and it would be best for me to go straight to my Father."
Dee and I had advanced silently, thanks to our rubber shoes, and we now came up behind the old Irishman and Dum.
"Come on, Dum, you can get back to Gresham before the watchman makes his one o'clock rounds if you hurry."
Dum looked at me aghast. "Page, you here, and Dee!"
"Where should I be but with my twin? We have never spent a night apart yet, Dumplingdeedledums." Dee's tact had won the day. That was Mr. Tucker's pet name for Dum, and Dee using it at such a time brought Dum to her senses. "What would Zebedee think and say of this escapade?" was what came to Dum's mind.
"Good-night, Captain, I reckon I won't go to Richmond to-night. We'll have to hurry to get in before one. That's the 12:40 now whistling for the crossing." And before the old man could get his breath, we had scurried away over the light fall of snow like so many rabbits.
It was uphill most of the way back to Gresham, but we made short work of it. If I had not been so desperately afraid the watchman would discover that the front door was unlocked before we got back and perhaps raise an alarm, I would have enjoyed our run immensely. The moon went behind a great black cloud, but we knew our way well enough not to be dependent on her light. Not one word did we speak, but saved our breath for this real fox-trot.
At the school at last! I tried the great door, almost afraid to breathe. It yielded to my push and we were in the dark hall. I had just sense enough left to lock the door, and then we flew up the steps and were safe in our room without having encountered the watchman.