Glenloch Girls | Page 9

with a rueful smile." I'll try it
baby fashion." Sitting down, he let his crutches slide along beside him,
and holding the injured leg straight out before him hitched along from
stair to stair until he reached the bottom. Then with even greater
caution than he had used before he walked to the door and opened it.

A bright-faced girl stood on the step and without waiting for Arthur to
speak said pleasantly, "I am Ruth Shirley, and I am afraid you are not
expecting me until to-morrow."
"I am sure mother didn't expect you to-day, for she has gone in town
and won't be back before five o'clock," said Arthur, unpleasantly
conscious of his crutches, his dressing-gown and his distracted-looking
hair.
Ruth turned to the gentleman who was with her and held out her hand.
"Thank you very much, Mr. Ingersoll, for taking care of me so nicely. I
shall write father all about your kindness."
"It was a very great pleasure, Miss Ruth," answered Mr. Ingersoll, "and
I shall hope some day to be able to tell your father what a delightful
traveling companion I found you. I am only sorry that I must say
good-bye so soon." The driver having carried in her trunk, Ruth shook
hands warmly with Mr. Ingersoll and watched him with a little
homesick pang as he stepped into the carriage and was driven away.
Then she walked into the house with the curious idea that she was
either just waking from a dream or was just going to begin one.
"I feel like those funny little girls in the wonderland stories who open
mysterious doors and have ail sorts of adventures," she said with a
nervous little laugh.
Arthur was distinctly conscious that he wished she had opened some
other mysterious door than his own. What on earth should he do with a
strange girl for the next hour or more?
"You'd like to go up to your room, I'm sure," he said at last with almost
a gasp of relief. "I'll show you," he added, and then stopped short. How
was he going to get up those stairs again? Would it be possible for him
to make such an exhibition of himself with the eyes of a girl upon him?
"I think you'll have to let me tell you where it is," he said finally. "It is
the last room on the right as you go toward the back of the house, and I
think you will find everything there to make you comfortable until my

mother gets home."
Ruth was rather awed by his excessive dignity, and because she was a
little nervous, and tired from her long journey, felt an intense desire to
laugh at him, at herself, or at nothing at all, for that matter. She
managed to restrain herself, however, and with a meek "thank you,"
picked up her bag and went up-stairs.
Arthur saw her disappear with a sigh of relief. "I'll wait until she gets
nicely settled in her room, and then I'll crawl up-stairs," he said to
himself, dropping wearily into one of the hall chairs. He had sat there
but a moment when to his horror he heard some one coming quickly
through the dining-room, and then a surprised voice said:
"Why, Arthur! How good it seems to see you down-stairs again!"
"Oh, hello, Betty," answered Arthur, immensely relieved to find that it
was no one more formidable. "How did you get in?"
"I slipped in the back door and found Ellen just coming down-stairs
rubbing her eyes. She said she thought she heard the bell ring, but
wasn't sure," finished Betty with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "I
saw it all from my window, and knew your mother had gone in town,
so I thought I'd run over and see if I could do anything for any one."
"You're a trump, Betty, and you can do something," answered Arthur
gratefully. "Of course I had to ask her to go up to her room, and I was
just thinking she'd be rather forlorn sitting there until mother gets here.
It will be just the thing for you to go up and talk to her."
"Well, I will," said Betty, and started up the stairs. Half-way up she
paused and then came back. "I've got to run back home, Arthur. There's
something I want to get before I meet Ruth, and I won't be gone a
minute."
She was out of the house in a second, and Arthur left to himself
wondered if he should have time to get up-stairs before her return. "I
should be afraid to try it," he thought; "she's as quick as a flash, and I

should probably be stuck half-way up by the time she got back. I'll wait
until the