e Mr. Thurber Wade made his
appearance, gallantly mounted, and freighted with flowers and kind
messages from his mother to Miss Carr; but Clover was never sorry when he
rode away again. Somehow he did not seem to belong to the Happy Valley, as
in her heart she denominated the place.

There was a remarkable deal of full moon that month, as it seemed; at
least, the fact served as an excuse for a good many late transits between
the valley and the park. Now and then either Clarence or Geoff would lead
over a saddle-horse and give Clover a good gallop up or down the valley,
which she always enjoyed. The habit which she had extemporized for her
visit to the High Valley answered very well, and Mrs. Hope had lent her a
hat.

On one of these occasions she and Clarence had ridden farther than usual,
quite down to the end of the pass, where the road dipped, and descended to
the little watering-place of Canyon Creek,--a Swiss-like village of hotels
and lodging-houses and shops for the sale of minerals and mineral waters,
set along the steep sides of a narrow green valley. They were chatting
gayly, and had just agreed that it was time to turn their horses' heads
homeward, when a sudden darkening made them aware that one of the
unexpected thunder-gusts peculiar to the region was upon them.

They were still a mile above the village; but as no nearer place of
shelter presented itself, they decided to proceed. But the storm moved
more rapidly than they; and long before the first houses came in sight the
heavy drops began to pelt down. A brown young fellow, lying flat on his
back under a thick bush, with his horse standing over him, shouted to them
to "try the cave," waving his hand in its direction; and hurrying on, they
saw in another moment a shelving brow of rock in the cliff, under which
was a deep recess.

To this Clarence directed the horses. He lifted Clover down. She half sat,
half leaned on the slope of the rock, well under cover, while he stretched
himself at full length on a higher ledge, and held the bridles fast. The
horses' heads and the saddles were fairly well protected, but the
hindquarters of the animals were presently streaming with water.

"This isn't half-bad, is it?" Clarence said. His mouth was so close to
Clover's ear that she could catch his words in spite of the noisy thunder
and the roar of the descending rain.

"No; I call it fun."

"You look awfully pretty, do you know?" was the next and very unexpect