midnight
With these words Ruth blew out the candles and five minutes later , their shoes and outer clothing removed , she and Barbara and Miss Sallie were fast asleep . Grace and Mollie , however , struggled vainly with the heavy wooden shutters , but try as they might they could not succeed in closing them tightly . After some subdued laughter and many exclamations they abandoned their task in disgust , and blowing out their candles prepared themselves for sleep . At midnight Ruth awoke with a start . She had a distinct sensation that some one had been looking into her face . But the room was still flooded with moonlight , and she could see plainly that , except for her sleeping companions , no one was there . She turned over and closed her eyes again , but the sudden waking had driven sleep away .