He could not stay away from them -- never -- never . He slipped out of bed very softly and dressed in the dark . Then he lighted the lamp timidly and opened the little brown chest Stephen had given him . It held his books and his treasures , but he took out only a pencil , a bit of paper and the foolscap book . With a hand shaking in his eagerness , he wrote : dear miss Trever Im going back home , dont be fritened about me because I know the way . Ive got to go . something is calling me . dont be cross . I love you , but I cant stay . Im leaving my foolscap book for you , you can keep it always but I must go back to Stephen and nora Paul He put the note on the foolscap book and laid them on the table . Then he blew out the light , took his cap and went softly out . The house was very still . Holding his breath , he tiptoed downstairs and opened the front door . Before it ran the street which went , he knew , straight out to the country road that led home . Paul closed the door and stole down the steps , his heart beating painfully , but when he reached the sidewalk he broke into a frantic run under the limes . It was late and no one was out on that quiet street . He ran until his breath gave out , then walked miserably until he recovered it , and then ran again . He dared not stop running until he was out of that horrible town , which seemed like a prison closing around him , where the houses shut out the stars and the wind could only creep in a narrow space like a fettered , cringing thing , instead of sweeping grandly over great salt wastes of sea . At last the houses grew few and scattered , and finally he left them behind . He drew a long breath ; this was better -- rather smothering yet , of course , with nothing but hills and fields and dark woods all about him , but at least his own sky was above him , looking just the same as it looked out home at Noel 's Cove .
He recognized the stars as friends ; how often Stephen had pointed them out to him as they sat at night by the door XXXXX the little house .
With above at because behind for in of on to