Ruth was a stickler for the established order of things. Alice was more in the habit of taking "cross-cuts." "Don't be silly!" exclaimed the younger girl. "We've just got to get out of here and warn Russ before those men have a chance to take his patent. You heard what they said about doing it to-night!" "Well, I suppose we must," assented Ruth, with a sigh. "But it seems a shame to waste all that good food." "It won't be wasted. We can tell them to give it to some poor person." "Oh, Alice! You are so--so queer." "I'd be worse than queer if I sat here and ate while Russ was being robbed of his patent. I should think you'd want to help him. I thought you and he----" "Alice!" warned Ruth, with a sudden assumption of dignity. But she blushed prettily. "Oh, you know what I mean. Come on. Don't sit there talking any longer, and raising objections. We've got to hurry." "Yes, I suppose so. Oh, Alice, I hope nothing happens!" "So do I." "I mean to us." "And I mean to Russ. A distinction without a difference." The two girls drew on their gloves and left the restaurant. As Ruth had expected, the cashier at the desk looked at them curiously as they paid for the meal they had not eaten. But Alice forestalled any open criticism by saying: "We find we have to leave sooner than we expected. If you like, give our meal to some poor person. We haven't had time to touch it." "Oh, all right," answered the young girl at the desk. "We often give what is left over to charity, and I'm sure the food on your table won't come amiss. If you like I'll speak to the manager, and see if he'll give you a rebate----" "No, we haven't time for that--too much of a hurry," answered Alice. "Come along, Ruth." They hurried outside, and Alice glanced quickly up and down the street for a glimpse of the two men. They were not in sight. "I wish we were rich!" suddenly exclaimed Alice, as she took her sister's arm, and hurried in the direction of the elevated that would take them home. "Why?" asked Ruth. "Because then we could afford to take a taxicab. We ought to warn Russ as soon as possible. How much money have you, Ruth?" "Not enough for a taxicab, I'm afraid." She hastily counted it over. Alice did the same. "No," decided the younger girl, with a sigh. "I guess we'd better not. At least--not yet. We may have to--later." "What do you mean?" asked Ruth. "I mean we can't tell what will happen before we are able to tell Russ. He's hardly likely to be at home now, and we may have to search for him." "But we can go home and tell his mother and Billy. One of them could find him, and warn him. Billy knows New York even better than we do." "Yes, I suppose so. Well, we'll go to the apartment and see what happens there."