quick action and he acted quickly. Running swiftly and silently on the
moist earth, he stole up behind Lena. She was standing still, deeply
engrossed in what she read on the paper she held in her hand.
Consequently she was unaware of Bob bearing down upon her.

When he was about ten feet behind her, Bob suddenly dashed forward, even
more swiftly than before, and before the startled cook knew what was
happening he had snatched the paper from her hand and was speeding away
with it. He ran only for a few steps, however. An exposed root from one
of the big maple trees that lined the sidewalk caught his foot; he
tripped, was thrown violently forward, and fell sprawling on his face. He
did not relax his hold on the paper, however. It was crumpled, but he
held it tightly clenched in his hand.

The fall jarred him considerably. The knee of his trousers was torn and
his hand scraped. His hat fell off, and as he slid along the ground on
his face, half of his false whiskers were ripped off. He picked himself
up as quickly as he could, however, and turned around to see what Lena
was doing.

She was nowhere to be seen.




CHAPTER XXIII

UNDER THE LIGHT