this very minute and tell Creed Bonbright."

She hesitated, glanced over her shoulder in the direction of the
Turrentine cabin, then bent dubiously and set up her overturned bucket.
Not a berry had spilled from it, yet the sight of its mishap gave her an
idea. Quietly slipping through the bushes till she was far enough away to
dare run, she hurried home to the cabin.

"Iley," she gasped, as soon as she put her head in at the door, "I upsot
my berry pail and lost most of the fruit. Can you make out with that?"
and she set the little bucket on the table.

"I reckon I'll have to, ef you've got so work-brickle ye won't pick any
more," returned Iley.

"I would--I'd git ye all ye need," protested Huldah with unexpected
meekness, "but I'm jest obliged to go over to--" she had all but said
Creed Bonbright's, but she caught herself in time and concluded lamely.
"I jest have obliged to run down to Clianthy Lusk's and see can she let
me have her crochet needle for to finish up my shawl."

She delayed for no criticism or demur on Iley's part, but was off with
the last word, and once out of sight of Jim Cal's cabin she took a short
cut through the woods and ran; but in spite of her best efforts darkness
began to gather before she won to the high road, for the evening had
closed in early, thick and threatening; a mountain thunder-storm was
brewing. Opposite a tempestuous, magnificent sunset, there had reared in
the eastern sky a tremendous thunder-head, a palace of a thousand snowy
domes, turning to gold, and then flushing from base to crown like a
gigantic many-petalled rose. It swept steadily up and over, hiding the
sky, and leaving the earth in almost complete darkness. There were low
rolls of thunder, at first mellow and almost musical, crashing always
louder and stronger as they came nearer. The wind thrashed and yelled
through the tossing forest; and as she approached the Card cabin she
heard the banging of barn shutters, the whipping of tree boughs against
the windows. There were the first spears of rain flung at roof and door;
and it was in the torrent itself which followed fast that Huldah beat
upon that closed door, giving her name and demanding entrance. Within,
Creed Bonbright sprang up from where he sat with a book in his hand, his
eyes fixed on vacancy, and would have answered her, but Old Nancy put a
hasty palm over his lips.

"Hush--for God's sake," she whispered.

They stood in the lighted cabin, all on foot