He laughed coarsely. “George Smith’s kid, all right. You’ve got the same high way with you.”
“Where are you going to take me?” she asked, trying to equal his long stride.
“Where you’ll be safe till I let your father know I’ve got you.”
“But you said you would take me to him. I thought you knew where he is.”
Again he laughed, and patted May Nell roughly but not unkindly. “I do; but there’s preliminaries before I get you two together. Sabe?”
May Nell didn’t understand, but thought it best to answer in the affirmative. Beyond that she said nothing, but trudged along by his side till they came to the road and turned toward the haunted house, when he took her suddenly in his arms and walked on in the deepest of the dusty ruts.
“I can walk,” she said, struggling to be put down.
“So you can, but I’ll carry you just the same.” His smothering hold warned her to quiescence; and she did not stir till he set her within the rear door.
“Do you live here?” she questioned with an irrepressible shudder.
“No; but I stop here sometimes. Are you afraid of ghosts?”