, laughingly, as she saw him about to divest himself
of it. 'Keep your coat. I am wet enough without that. But what an awful
storm, and how dark it grows. We shall break our necks stumbling along
at this rate.'

Just then a broad glare of lightning illuminated the darkness, and
showed Dick the four pines close at hand. He knew the place well, for,
with the Tracy children, he had often played there when a boy, and knew
that the thick bushes would afford them some protection from the storm.

'By Jove, we are in luck!' he said. 'Here's the pine room, as we used to
call it when you played you were Marie Antoinette, and had your head cut
off. I can remember just how I felt when your white sun-bonnet, with
Mrs. Crawford's false hair pinned it in, dropped into the basket, and
how awful it seemed when you played dead so long that we almost thought
you were; and when you came to light, the way you imitated the cries of
a French mob, I would have sworn there were a hundred voices instead of
one yelling: "Down with the nobility!" You were a wonderful actress,
Jerrie; and it is a marvel you have not gone upon the stage.'

While he talked he was groping for the bench under the pines, where they
sat down, Dick seating himself upon the parasol, which Jerrie had left
there that morning after her interview with Tom.

'Hallo! what's this?' he said, drawing the parasol from under him. 'An
umbrella, as I live! We are in luck. What good fairy do you suppose left
it here for us?'

Jerrie could not tell him that she had left it there, and she said
nothing; while he opened and held it so that every drop of rain which
slipped from it fell upon her neck and trickled down her back. 'Great
Caesar! that was a roarer!' Dick said, as the peal of thunder which had
so frightened Ann Eliza burst over their heads, and, echoing through the
woods, went bellowing off in the direction of the river, 'That's a
stunner! but I rather like it, and like being here, too, with you, if
you don't mind it. I've wanted a chance to speak to you alone, ever
since--well, ever since this morning, when I saw you in that bewildering
costume that showed your feet and your arms so--you know, with that
thing like a napkin pinned up in front, and that jimcrack on your head,
and the red stockings--and--and--'

Dick was getting bewildered and did not quite know what he was saying,
so he stopped and waited for Jerrie to reply. But Jerrie did not speak,
because of the sudden al