sure, for
you might have known that Mr. Dauntrey is capable of taking care of
me, and, aside from that, I think I can take pretty good care of
myself."

Mr. Ludlow did not reply, but hurried them to their private car, the
others of the party having preceded him. Very shortly they were
speeding on their way.

Mrs. Calvert read a book, and Dorothy and Alfy were merrily chatting
over their trip, so Ruth turned away from Mr. Ludlow and busied
herself talking to Mr. Dauntrey and nibbling his chocolates and bon
bons.

Mr. Ludlow, who had most of the time been looking out of the window,
turned to Mrs. Calvert and said, "I think it looks as if we were going
to have a bad storm. It looks to me as if the clouds have been
following us up, and I'm afraid we are going to get it in a little
while good and plenty."

Mrs. Calvert looked out of the window and saw the storm clouds
approaching and gathering for the downpour, and then her eyes wandered
to the river beside which the train ran.

"Just look!" she exclaimed, pointing to the water. "Look, quick, at
the river!"

"That is quite remarkable," said Mr. Ludlow. "Just see how high the
water is and how fast it is flowing."

"Why it seems to be rising higher and higher by the minute as we go
along," responded Mrs. Calvert. "I can't understand it, can you?"

"Oh!" shrieked Ruth at this moment, clinging to Mr. Dauntrey's hand.
"Oh, what an awful flash of lightning! Oh, how I hate an electric
storm! Lightning scares me half to death."

"I like it," replied Alfy, looking across the dark, turbulent, swiftly
moving stream. "I always like to watch it. And 'up mounting' we do
have some awful storms. You remember them, don't you, Dorothy?"

"Of course I do. Sometimes, though, I used to get a little scared.
They used to be so very bad," said the girl, and all the people in
the car jumped as a loud crash of thunder followed a blazing streak of
lightning. The thunder seemed right under their feet and was so loud
and so sudden that all were startled for a minute.

Ruth jumped up and grabbed Mr. Ludlow around the neck and hid her face
in his shoulder, moaning, "Oh, oh, I don't like this at all."

Mr. Ludlow, although he did not like to see the girl so overcome with
nervousness, was decidedly happy that she should turn to him, and
hoped perhaps that the storm would last forever, if he could continue
to hold Ruth to him.

This awful clap was followed by another flash of lightning whic