Every time she planted her foot down she expected to go through, foot and all, but, somehow, she did not sink down between the ties.

“It would take a funnel to put me safely down that way,” she decided.  “I guess I would have to have a very big hole to drop through.”

It seemed to Tavia that everything she had to do must be made easy for her, even dropping through railroad ties!

She had crossed the bridge and now she stood for a moment mocking it.

“I should burn my bridges behind me,” she mused, “but it takes time and talent, even to burn bridges.”

Those who knew Tavia would scarcely have recognized her now, could they have viewed her through the glass with which she was magnifying her faults.  Tavia had been tried, she had tried herself, and after having had an opportunity to board any of three trains going toward camp, here she was again—­stranded!

“I’m a first-class simpleton,” she decided.  “Dorothy was right; always right.  I’m a rattle-brain; and they think I am drowned.  That is more reasonable, and more charitable, than to think I could be so foolish.”

“I guess I couldn’t get along very well without Dorothy,” she went on thinking, as she trudged forward.  “She always kept me together.  But at least I’ll try to do her training justice now.  I’ll try to walk back to camp.”

A narrow path ran beside the rails.  This, Tavia thought had been trodden down by tramps.  Beyond, there seemed nothing but woods, and it was getting dusk.  Well, there must be houses or huts somewhere, and she would walk on.

Peering through the trees, Tavia thought she saw a white speck.  It might be a bird—­no, it was too large!  What could it be?

It moved swiftly—­now she could see it was—­not a person!  But it couldn’t be anything else, since there really were no ghosts.  But were there really none?  Just now Tavia felt as if nothing was certain, not even her own personality.

There it was again, out in the clear path!  All in white!  Oh, it must be a spirit!

How silly!

“It’s a girl,” Tavia said aloud.  “Oh, how glad I am to see the face of a human being!”

It was a girl, and she moved swiftly toward Tavia.

“Oh, how do you do?” she began.  “I was afraid you would not come.”

Tavia wondered.  Did the girl take her for some one else?

“I’m awfully glad to meet you,” answered Tavia, noting how pretty the creature was, what splendid blond hair, and such eyes!  “I was just getting—­frightened.”

“Frightened!  Why, we will soon be all right.  I have ordered my airship.  Can you fly?”

Could she fly?  Was the girl crazy?

Then Tavia noticed a strange glare in the wonderful blue eyes.  She might be insane!  Maybe she was the girl who had escaped from the sanitarium!

“I love to fly—­it is my one ambition in life.  But they would never let me, so I just came away by myself; and isn’t it sweet of you to meet me away out here?  There, did you see that bird?  That’s the way to fly,” and the strange girl threw her arms up and down, until Tavia wondered whether she could be fooling, or was really insane.