r
than his own; nearly a mile and a half nearer, this way.

He climbed the snake fence into the woodland and splashed rapidly
through the wet growth. The big leaves that he brushed in passing,
emptied their load of water upon him; Timothy was getting wetter and
wetter, but rather enjoying it all. Then he spied Arethusa propped up
against her tree with her eyes shut tight, and he stopped short in
amazement.

"A--re--thusa Worthington!"

Her eyes flew open. She screamed; for Timothy had appeared before her
as suddenly as though he had come in that clap of thunder.

"Timothy! You nasty thing! You scared me almost to death!"

"What on earth are you doing out here?"

"Picking water lilies!" she replied pertly.

"You must have fallen in then, because I never did see anything just as
wet! But I thought you weren't afraid of storms?"

"I'm not. I love 'em."

"Why do you screw up your eyes for when it thunders then?" he asked,
teasingly, as at another terrific sound her eyes shut just as tight as
before.

But she only made a face at him in reply.

"Does Miss 'Liza know you're out here?" Timothy demanded next.

"She does."

"I'll just bet she doesn't," he contradicted calmly. "You better come
go in. You are wet clear through."

"So are you," retorted Arethusa.

"I think you had better come go in," persisted Timothy. "Honest,
Arethusa! It's dangerous," he added, quickly, for just as he spoke a
great tree in the outer edge of the woodland went crashing to the
ground.

"I shan't go in." She stamped her foot for emphasis. "Run along,
Timothy, if _you're_ afraid. _I'm_ going to stay. I love it!"

That implication of fear put him on his masculine mettle at once.

"I'm not afraid," he declared, stoutly. "It's just foolish, that's all.
Come on, Arethusa."

She resented this tone of authority.

"No!" she said, most positively.

"Well, then ... I'll take you," announced Timothy, equally positive.
"I just can't let you tempt Providence this way."

Her eyes blazed dark. "If you so much as dare touch me, Timothy Jarvis,
even; I'll ... I'll...." Words failed her.

Timothy regarded her in helpless exasperation. Being very well
acquainted with Arethusa and Arethusa's ways, he knew that she would
have retaliated in some very real and immediate fashion, had he made a
single move to carry out his threat. And nothing he could do along this
line would have brought the going in any nearer, for in a scuffle she
was quite