Ruth Fielding at Snow Camp | Page 9

the boy all night. Something desperate had to be done--and
something very desperate she did!
She unlatched the door again as quietly as possible. She pushed it open
far enough to slip through into the kitchen. There was no movement
from the boy--not a sound. Nor did Ruth dare even look in his
direction.
She crept across the kitchen floor to the stove. She reached the
garments hung upon the chair backs. She selected one and withdrew in
a hurry to the staircase, and so ran up to her room.
"There!" she thought, shutting her door and breathing heavily. "If he
wants to run away he can; but he'll have to go without his trousers!"
CHAPTER V
OFF FOR THE BACKWOODS
It was still dark when Ruth awoke and slipped down to the kitchen
again. But she heard her uncle rattling the stove grate. He was a very
early riser. She peered into the kitchen and saw the grove of drying
clothing, so knew that her trick of the night before had kept Fred
Hatfield from running away.
Therefore she merely dropped the boy's nether garments inside the
kitchen door and scurried back to her own room to dress by
candle-light. She heard Aunt Alvirah stumbling about her room and

groaning her old, old tune, "Oh, my back, and oh, my bones!" As soon
as Ruth was dressed she ran in to see if she could do anything for the
old woman.
"Ah, deary! what a precious pretty you be," said the old woman,
hugging her. "I'm so glad to see you again after your being away so
long. And your Uncle's that proud of you, too! He often reads the
reports the school teacher sends him--I see him doing that in the
evening. He keeps the reports in his cash-box, just as though they was
as precious as his stocks and bonds. Yes-indeedy!"
"You are so glad to have me at home, Aunt Alvirah, that I feel guilty to
be going away again so soon," Ruth said.
"No, honey. Have your good times while ye may, my pretty creetur. It's
mighty nice of the Camerons to take you away with them. You go and
have a good time. Your trunk's all packed and ready, and your young
friend, Helen, would be dreadful disappointed if you didn't go. Now,
let's go down and git breakfast. Jabez has been up for some time and I
heard him just go out to the mill. That boy must be up and dressed by
now, for if he had been sick, Jabez would have hollered up the stairs
about it."
She was right. Fred Hatfield was completely dressed when they came
into the kitchen. Ruth did not look at him, but busied herself with the
details of getting breakfast. She did not speak to him, nor did Fred
speak to her. But Aunt Alvirah was as cheerful and as chatty as ever.
Uncle Jabez was never talkative; but he was no more taciturn this
morning than was their guest. The boy ate his breakfast with downcast
eyes and only said timidly, at the end of the meal:
"I'm real obliged for your kindness, Mr. Potter. I think I'm all right
again now. Can't I do some work for you to pay--"
"I don't need another hand at the mill--and I couldn't make use of a boy
like you at all," said Mr. Potter, hastily. "You wait till Mr. Cameron
comes here this morning."

Ruth saw that there was an understanding between her uncle and Mr.
Cameron regarding this boy. But Fred said, still hesitating:
"If--if I can't do anything to repay you, I'd rather go on. I was making
for Cheslow. I'll get a job--"
"You wait here as you're told, boy," snapped Uncle Jabez, and the
runaway shrank into his chair again and said nothing more.
Breakfast at the Red Mill was always early; it had been finished before
seven o'clock on this clear winter morning. It was a fine day when the
sun appeared, and Ruth's mind--at least, a part of it!--delighted in the
thought of the journey to be taken into the great woods to the north and
east of Osago Lake. She had several little things to do in preparation;
therefore she could not be blamed if she lost sight of Fred Hatfield
occasionally.
Suddenly, however, she found that he had left the kitchen. She cried up
the stairs to Aunt Alvirah:
"Have you seen him, Auntie? Where is he?"
"Where's who?" returned the old woman.
"That boy. He's not here."
"For the land's sake!" returned Aunt Alvirah. "I dunno. Didn't your
uncle tell him to wait for Mr. Cameron here?"
"But he's gone!" exclaimed Ruth; and picking up her cap she pulled it
on, and likewise her sweater, and went out