Nellie could not resist smiling at his obvious enjoyment of the noise he was making. “How silly you are, Bob!” she said. Perhaps she unconsciously relaxed her grip, for the next instant he had wrenched himself free, and retreating a few paces, addressed her from a safe distance. “Shall I really go, Nellie? Good-by to the old house and poor Emmons, and to you and our inspiriting little scraps. Well, I rather think so. Don’t be so sharp with the next victim--that’s my parting word. Good-by!” He waved his hand lightly and set off across a moonlit field toward the woods on the other side. Nellie did not hesitate an instant; she climbed the fence and followed him with all the speed of a long and active pair of legs. Once in the shadow of the woods, however, he was pleased to pause--to disappear into the darkness to reappear at her elbow, to lean out and speak in her ear from behind a sheltering tree-trunk. At last, seeing that she was getting exhausted without having the smallest intention of giving in, he stopped of his own accord, and leaning his back against a tree, shook his head at her. “Aren’t you ashamed, Miss Nellie,” he said, “to be out playing tag with an utter stranger at this hour of the night? What would Mr. Emmons say if he knew it? I’m surprised at you. Come home directly.” (He tucked her hand under his arm.) “You ought to have been in bed two hours ago.” And Nellie, somewhat bewildered, but very tired, allowed herself to be led home. Chapter VIII Emmons stopped at the Lee house the next morning on his way to the train. Vickers, fortunately, had already left. Emmons came in reality to explain, but like so many of us, he made the mistake of thinking that his explanation would be strengthened by a little reproach. “Well,” he said, “I came to find out whether you got home safely. I was really alarmed, Nellie, when I heard you had been at the fire after all. I don’t at all like the idea of your running about the country by yourself after nightfall.” “I don’t think there was much danger, James.” “You don’t? Let me tell you we are all very much afraid something dreadful happened after the fire. Several of us heard hideous screams in the direction of Simm’s woods.” “What did you do?” “We went there, of course, but we could not find anything. They ceased in as mysterious a way as they began. Some of the men went out at sunrise to-day to search the woods. I have not heard whether they found anything. But you will see the folly of imagining a place safe just because you have always lived there. I have been anxious all night. I kept imagining it might be you----” “Bob took me home,” she answered quickly. “Well, as long as you’re safe that’s all I care about. I just stopped in,” he ended, moving slowly down the steps, but at the foot he could not resist adding: “I suppose you saw that grandstand play of your cousin’s?” “Yes.” “And what _did_ you think of it?”