three minutes to five
Mrs. Cameron was ready , eager as a child , standing on the sidewalk with a great blanket shawl over her arm and looking up the street for her . It was not until they had swept through the village , over the bridge , and were out on the broad highway toward Chester that Ruth began to realize what a wild goose chase she had undertaken . Just where did she expect to find them , anyway ? It was now three minutes to five by the little clock in the car and it was a full fifteen minutes ' drive to Chester . The plan had been to delay him on the way to the train , and there had been mention of a short cut . Could that be the rough stony road that turned down sharply just beyond the stone quarry ? It seemed hardly possible that anybody would attempt to run a car over that road .