ch
a day, and leading her horse down into the deep road sprang into the
saddle from the bank before he could offer his assistance.

"Thank you for helping me," she said, and was off toward the west before
he could speak.

She was gone, and he could do nothing but look after her helplessly.

"Your horse has lamed itself," he called when he was at last able to
concern himself with such matters, but either the spattering hoofbeats
prevented her hearing his voice or she was determined not to reply; he
could not tell which. There was nothing to do but return to his wagon.

"Confound it!" he exclaimed. "Now you've made an ass of yourself and let
her get away without finding out who she was or where she lived." He liked
her--and he was an ass! He anathematized himself openly.

When well away from the man, Elizabeth saw that his observation regarding
the prospects of meeting people on such a day was a perfectly natural one
and not aimed at her at all. She laughed at the spectacle she was sure she
must have presented, and wished now that she had not been in such a hurry
in leaving him. Here was a man worth looking at. The gesture as he had
lifted his hat indicated refinement.

"Curious that I haven't seen him--he lives here some where," she pondered,
and now that she could not find out she rated herself severely for the
embarrassment which was apt to assail her at critical moments.

Patsie limped miserably, and Elizabeth brought her down to a walk and let
her droop along the old country road, and speculated on this new specimen
of masculinity which had dropped from the skies to puzzle and delight her
soul.

The rain beat heavily now, and Elizabeth began to take her situation into
account after thinking over the stranger a few minutes. There was a
perfect deluge of water from the burdened sky, and though no sign of a
house could be seen, she knew she could not be far from the Chamberlain
homestead; but the ground was becoming more and more soggy, and her
garments were not of the heaviest. Patsie's feet went ploop, ploop, ploop,
in the soft, muddy road. Elizabeth urged her to the fastest possible
walking speed in spite of her lameness. To trot or gallop was impossible,
and the young horse slipped now and then in a manner which would have
unseated a less skilful rider.

The sodden Kansas road was aflood with this spring rain. Patsie laboured
heavily and Elizabeth gave herself up to her cogitations again. Her mind
had reac