nciation of Jane's selfishness about
the weather was made partly to reassure himself and settle his nerves,
strained by the unusual procedure he contemplated, and partly to divert
Jane's attention. In the latter effort he was unsuccessful; her eyes
became strange and unbearable.

She uttered a shriek:

"Willie's goin' to carry a CANE!"

"You hush up!" he said, fiercely, and hurried out through the front
door. She followed him to the edge of the porch; she stood there while
he made his way to the gate, and she continued to stand there as he
went down the street, trying to swing the cane in an accustomed and
unembarrassed manner.

Jane made this difficult.

"Willie's got a CANE!" she screamed. "He's got papa's CANE!"
Then, resuming her little chant, she began to sing: "It's goin' to
rain--Willie's got papa's cane--it's goin' to rain--Willie's got papa's
cane!" She put all of her voice into a final effort. "MISS PRATT'LL GET
WET IF YOU DON'T TAKE AN UMBERELLER-R-R!"

The attention of several chance pedestrians had been attracted, and the
burning William, breaking into an agonized half-trot, disappeared round
the corner. Then Jane retired within the house, feeling that she had
done her duty. It would be his own fault if he got wet.

Rain was coming. Rain was in the feel of the air--and in Jane's hope.

She was not disappointed. Mr. Genesis, so secure of fair weather in the
morning, was proved by the afternoon to be a bad prophet. The fat cloud
was succeeded by others, fatter; a corpulent army assailed the vault
of heaven, heavy outriders before a giant of evil complexion and
devastating temper.

An hour after William had left the house, the dust in the streets and
all loose paper and rubbish outdoors rose suddenly to a considerable
height and started for somewhere else. The trees had colic; everything
became as dark as winter twilight; streaks of wildfire ran miles in a
second, and somebody seemed to be ripping up sheets of copper and tin
the size of farms. The rain came with a swish, then with a rattle, and
then with a roar, while people listened at their garret doorways and
marveled. Window-panes turned to running water;--it poured.

Then it relented, dribbled, shook down a few last drops; and passed on
to the countryside. Windows went up; eaves and full gutters plashed and
gurgled; clearer light fell; then, in a moment, sunshine rushed upon
shining green trees and green grass; doors opened--and out came the