Part 10 (2/2)
”And her name was Sadie Raby?” demanded Ruth.
”That's what she said.”
”We just wanted to see her, that's all,” said his sister. ”Ruth did, anyway. And I'd have been glad to help her.”
”Well, I helped her, didn't I?” demanded Tom, rather doggedly.
”Yes. Just like a boy. What do you suppose is to become of a girl like her traveling around the country?”
”She seemed to want to get to Campton real bad. I reckon she has folks there,” said Tom, slowly.
”She's got no folks-if her story is true,” said Ruth, quietly, ”save two little brothers.”
”And they're twins, like us, Tom,” said Helen, eagerly. ”Oh, dear! it's too bad Ruth and I didn't come across Sadie, instead of you.”
Tom began to laugh at that. ”You'd have had a fine time getting her away from those tramps,” he scoffed. ”She didn't have but a little money, and they would have stolen that from her if it hadn't been for Reno and me.”
CHAPTER VIII-TRAVELING TOWARD SUNRISE FARM
Tom Cameron thought a great deal of Ruth, and for that reason alone was sorry he had not stayed the departure of the runaway girl, Sadie Raby, from the vicinity of Cheslow. Then, as he thought of it more, and heard the girls talk about the tramping girl's circ.u.mstances as _they_ knew them, Tom was even more disturbed.
He and Reno had gotten into the tonneau of the car, which rolled away toward the Red Mill at a slower pace. He leaned his arms on the back of the front seat and listened to Ruth's story of her meeting with Sadie Raby, and her experience with Sim Perkins, and of her surprise at finding that Sadie had worked for a while at the Red Mill.
”If we had only been a few days earlier in getting home from school, there she would have been,” finished Ruth, with a sigh.
”That's so,” agreed her chum. ”And she even stayed night before last with Mercy's mother. My! but she's as elusive as a will-o'-the-wisp.”
”We could telegraph to Campton and have her stopped,” suggested Tom.
”By the police?” demanded his sister.
”Oh! what for?” asked Ruth.
”There! nothing _I_ suggest is any good,” said the boy.
”Not unless you suggest something better than that,” laughed Ruth. ”The poor thing doesn't need to be arrested. And she might refuse any help we could give her. She's very independent.”
”She sure is,” admitted Tom, ruefully.
”And we don't know _why_ she wanted to go to Campton,” his sister remarked.
”Nor if she got there safely,” added Ruth.
”Pshaw! if that's worrying you two, I'll find out for sure to-morrow,”
quoth Master Tom.
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