Flip was out skiing by herself before breakfast several mornings later when she saw the strange man again. At first she did not notice him, and then she became vaguely aware through her concentration on her skiing that someone was watching her, and she swung around and there he was leaning against a tree. This time he did not smile and wave and move away up the mountain. He just stood there watching her and she stared nervously back. He was very thin and his cheeks were sunken and his jaw dark as though he needed to shave. He wore shabby ski clothes and a small beret and his eyes were very dark and brilliant. She stood, leaning lightly on her ski sticks, looking back at him and wishing he would go away when suddenly he came stumbling across the snow towards her. She started to push away on her skis but he made a sudden leap at her and she fell headlong. She started to scream but he clapped his hand across her mouth. CHAPTER FIVE _The Stranger_ "Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you," he kept saying, and he righted her and stood her up again, keeping a firm grip on her arm. She could feel each of his fingers pressing through her sweater and ski jacket and they hurt as they dug into her arm. "Let go!" she gasped. "Let me go!" "It's all right," he repeated. "I won't hurt you. Don't be afraid." "But you _are_ hurting me! Let go!" Slowly his fingers relaxed, though he did not release her. "I didn't mean to knock you down like that. I lost my balance and fell against you. I'm very tired and hungry. Have you any food?" She shook her head. "Just a cracker or a piece of chocolate? School girls always have something to eat in their pockets." She shook her head again. "I haven't anything. What are you doing here?" "I'm the--uh--I'm the new janitor. I'm going to keep the furnace going so you'll be warm enough all winter. I live--uh--I live up the mountain and I didn't have a chance to eat breakfast this morning because I overslept. Are you sure you haven't even a crust of bread?" "I haven't anything. Won't the cook give you something in the kitchen?" "She's in a bad mood this morning. What are you doing out here all alone? Shouldn't you be in the school?" "Not till Call Over at a quarter to nine." "But why are you here all alone?" the man asked her, and she was afraid of the hungry look in his dark eyes. "I'm skiing." "But why do you ski here all alone every morning?" he persisted. "I like it." Now at last he let go her arm. "Well, I'm off up the mountain," he said, and without another word or a backwards glance he struck off across the snow. The thought of him troubled her until she went in to get the mail before Call Over. Then she had a letter that made her so angry that she forgot all about him. The letter was from Eunice, and it ran,