“Oh, Maria, aren’t you afraid?”

“No, I am not a bit afraid.”

“You won’t go in, honest?”

“No, I won’t go in.  Run right over there.”

Lily released her hold of Maria’s arm and made a fluttering break for the fence, against which she shrank and became actually invisible as a shadow.  Maria marched up to the Ramsey door and knocked loudly.  Mrs. Ramsey came to the door, and Maria thrust the parcels into her hands and began pulling them rapidly out of the fish-net bag.  Mrs. Ramsey cast a glance behind her at the lighted room, through which was visible the same man whom Maria had seen before, and also another, and swung the door rapidly together, so that she stood in the dark entry, only partly lighted by the moonlight.

“I have brought some things for Jessy to wear to school, Mrs. Ramsey,” said Maria.

“Thank you,” Mrs. Ramsey mumbled, doubtfully, with still another glance at the closed door, through which shone lines and chinks of light.

“There are enough for her to be warmly clothed, and you will see to it that she has them on, won’t you?” said Maria.  Her voice was quite sweet and ingratiating, and not at all patronizing.

Suddenly the woman made a clutch at her arm.  “You are a good young one, doin’ so much for my young one,” she whispered.  “Now you’d better git up and git.  They’ve been drinkin’.  Git!”

“You will see that Jessy has the things to wear Monday, won’t you?” said Maria.

“Sure.”  Suddenly the woman wiped her eyes and gave a maudlin sob.  “You’re a good young one,” she whimpered.  “Now, git.”

Maria ran across the road as the door closed after her.  She did not know that Mrs. Ramsey had given the parcels which she had brought a toss into another room, and when she entered the room in which the men were carousing and was asked who had come to the door, had replied, “The butcher for his bill,” to be greeted with roars of laughter.  She did, indeed, hear the roars of laughter.  Lily slunk along swiftly beside the fence by her side.  Maria caught her by the arm.  Curiously enough, while she was not afraid for herself, she did feel a little fear now for her companion.  The two girls hurried until they reached the bridge, and ran the whole length.  On the other side, coming into the lighted main street of Amity, they felt quite safe.

“Did you see any of those dreadful men?” gasped Lily.

“I just caught a glimpse of them, then Mrs. Ramsey shut the door,” said Maria.

“They were drunk, weren’t they?”

“I shouldn’t wonder.”

“I do think it was an awful place to go to,” said Lily, with a little sigh of relief that she was out of it.

The girls went along the street until they reached the Ramsey house, next the one where Maria lived.  Suddenly a man’s figure appeared from the gate.  It was almost as if he had been watching.

“Good-evening,” he said, and the girls saw that he was George Ramsey.