ious mother could remove her to a sheltered
spot. The sprinkle was but the beginning of a smart shower that sent the
children scurrying to the house with their arms filled with a jumble of
patients and bedding. Gertie regarded them dumped in a heap on the
kitchen floor, ruefully.

"Minnie'll take an awful cold and die I just know, and my new pink silk
quilt got wet and the pink's run into the white!"

"I think it's horrid of it to rain just as we got everything fixed,"
added Katy.

"I wish we could stay out in it," said Chicken Little, staring out the
window at the rain falling ker-splash on the brick walk outside.

"Wouldn't it be fun!" Katy exclaimed enthusiastically. "See what big
drops--I most believe I could catch some in my hands. Oh, I wonder if
Mother would let us go out--I'm going to ask her."

Mrs. Halford meditated a moment over the request, then putting by her
sewing went to the window to take a look at the clouds.

It was growing darker with an occasional flash of lightning and an
accompanying growl of thunder off in the distance. Mrs. Halford turned
to the children with a twinkle of resolution in her eyes and astonished
them by saying:

"Yes, you may. Off with your shoes and stockings and put on your
gossamers. You may stay out in the rain just as long as you like. You
too, Chicken Little, I'll be responsible to your mother. You can take my
gossamer."

"Oh, Mother," Katy and Gertie both flung themselves at their little
mother for an ecstatic hug.

"Yes," she continued, as soon as they released her. "You may take those
old umbrellas in the woodhouse and go back under the gooseberry bushes
if you wish--I want you to be thoroughly satisfied, so you won't always
be teasing to go out in the wet."

"You don't need to think we'll get tired of it, Mother," Katy assured
her.

"My, I could stay out all day--I love it so," Chicken Little protested.

"We'll stay as long as you'll let us, Mumsey."

Mrs. Halford smiled.

Shoes and stockings came off in a jiffy and the children ran out jumping
up and down gleefully. They splashed about in the little puddles in the
old brick walk, and dabbled their bare toes in the wet grass. They
danced and squealed, catching the splashing drops in their hands and
flinging them in each other's faces until the water was dripping in
streams from noses and chins.

"Isn't it grand?"

"My, I never had so much fun in my life!"

"'Tisn't a bit cold."

They frisked and s