sponse.

"Oh! Here comes the minister. Keep a little behind me, Dan, and he may
not notice your bare feet," exclaimed Rebecca.

Usually the Reverend Mr. Lyon was very ceremonious in his greeting to
the children of the parish; but to-night he wasted no time in
salutations.

"Have you seen Melvina?" he asked anxiously. "She left home early this
afternoon to visit at Captain Horton's and did not appear there at all;
nor can we find trace of her."

"No, sir," responded Rebecca. "I have but come to fetch my sister home
from Mr. Foster's, and have seen naught of Melvina."

Mr. Lyon turned and hurried back toward the main path, where London Atus
was inquiring at every house if anyone had seen his little mistress; but
no one had news of her.

"What can have befallen Melvina Lyon? And there's a storm coming up. I
do hope no harm has come to her," said Rebecca, as she hurried Anna
along the path.

"Oh, Rebby! It mustn't storm!" exclaimed Anna.

"'Twill only postpone Father's trip to the forest, Dan," said Rebby;
"but look at those black clouds. 'Twill surely be a tempest. I hope
we'll reach home before it breaks," and she started to run, pulling Anna
along with her.

"Oh, Rebby, let me go! I can't go home! I can't!" exclaimed Anna,
breaking away from her sister's clasping hand and darting ahead.

Rebecca had not heard Anna's last words, and thought her sister wished
only to outrun her in the race home. So she ran quickly after her, and
when at the turn by the blacksmith shop she lost sight of Anna she only
thought that the younger girl was hidden by the turn of the path, and
not until she pushed open the kitchen door did Rebecca realize that Anna
had run away from her, that she had not meant to come home.

"Just in time," said Mr. Weston, drawing Rebecca in and closing the door
against a gust of wind and rain. "But why did you not bring Danna home?
It has set in for a heavy storm, and she will now have to stay the night
at Mr. Foster's."

CHAPTER IV

AT MR. LYON'S

Anna raced back along the path to the bluff as fast as she could go; but
the strong wind swept against her, and at times nearly blew her over.
The rain came down in torrents; and, as it had grown dark with the
approaching storm, she could no longer see her way clearly, and stubbed
her toes against roots and stones until her feet were hurt and bleeding.

But she could not stop to thi