ntioned keg and Anne found
that it was just sufficiently high to furnish a secure resting place for
her feet. But she could not release herself.

"Could I pull you out if I crawled up?" suggested Diana.

Anne shook her head hopelessly.

"No . . . the splinters hurt too badly. If you can find an axe you might
chop me out, though. Oh dear, I do really begin to believe that I was
born under an ill-omened star."

Diana searched faithfully but no axe was to be found.

"I'll have to go for help," she said, returning to the prisoner.

"No, indeed, you won't," said Anne vehemently. "If you do the story of
this will get out everywhere and I shall be ashamed to show my face.
No, we must just wait until the Copp girls come home and bind them
to secrecy. They'll know where the axe is and get me out. I'm not
uncomfortable, as long as I keep perfectly still . . . not uncomfortable
in BODY I mean. I wonder what the Copp girls value this house at. I
shall have to pay for the damage I've done, but I wouldn't mind that if
I were only sure they would understand my motive in peeping in at their
pantry window. My sole comfort is that the platter is just the kind I
want and if Miss Copp will only sell it to me I shall be resigned to
what has happened."

"What if the Copp girls don't come home until after night . . . or till
tomorrow?" suggested Diana.

"If they're not back by sunset you'll have to go for other assistance,
I suppose," said Anne reluctantly, "but you mustn't go until you really
have to. Oh dear, this is a dreadful predicament. I wouldn't mind my
misfortunes so much if they were romantic, as Mrs. Morgan's heroines'
always are, but they are always just simply ridiculous. Fancy what the
Copp girls will think when they drive into their yard and see a girl's
head and shoulders sticking out of the roof of one of their outhouses.
Listen . . . is that a wagon? No, Diana, I believe it is thunder."

Thunder it was undoubtedly, and Diana, having made a hasty pilgrimage
around the house, returned to announce that a very black cloud was
rising rapidly in the northwest.

"I believe we're going to have a heavy thunder-shower," she exclaimed in
dismay, "Oh, Anne, what will we do?"

"We must prepare for it," said Anne tranquilly. A thunderstorm seemed a
trifle in comparison with what had already happened. "You'd better drive
the horse and buggy into that open shed. Fortunately my parasol is in
the buggy. Here . . . take my hat wi