ring day in the country by a
budding literary light," commented Patricia merrily. "I'm afraid your
style is rather going off, Ju! You haven't been consulting that
dictionary of yours recently."

Judith merely shrugged and went on with her breakfast, while Bruce and
Elinor, who had been up unusually early and were already equipped,
discussed Elinor's finished wall-decoration which stood at the far end
of the studio, just visible from the breakfast table. Bruce was much
elated over the progress of his pupil, and prophesied great things for
Elinor in time. He even went so far as to promise that the stained
glass window for which she had made a cartoon should be executed and
put in the little Rockham church.

Altogether they were in a happy frame of mind and life seemed very
satisfactory to them. As they left the town behind and the dimpling,
downy, spring-time country rolled out beyond their flying windows, they
became positively hilarious, intoxicated by sunshine and spring. They
found Greycroft, Hannah Ann and Henry all equally admirable. The
pergola was inspected and found well-composed and attractive, and the
site for Patricia's concrete seat was decided on hopefully. The picnic
luncheon in the big barn, which Hannah Ann served with great delight
while Henry hurried back and forth to the house with warm dishes and
reinforcements of delicious food, was a glorious frolic, and even the
big black clouds that swept suddenly over the luminous sky did not
distress them.

"Let's stay here for a minute or two, and then run up to the house
before it comes," suggested Patricia, with her chin on the half door of
the barn, looking out over the tender landscape and down at the flowers
in the unused barnyard far below.

Hannah Ann and Henry had disappeared with the remains of the feast and
the four were alone in the big solid structure, with hay mows on either
side of their banqueting floor and a smell of dry, sweet herbage in the
air.

Bruce scanned the rushing yellow clouds.

"Better shut the windows there, Miss Pat," he said. "I'll close the
doors and then we'll hustle. It's going to be a stunner when it comes."

Patricia had barely clicked the bolts in the glass upper doors and
heard the heavy clash of the wooden contact as Bruce slid the great
leaves of the big door into place, when with a swish and sweep the
storm broke.

"We can't go now," cried Patricia, throwing her voice above the sound
of the wind, but