saying, Verty took Redbud's hand, and leaving Fanny to Ralph,
hastened down the hill.

Before they had gone twenty steps, the thunder gust burst on them
furiously.

The rain was blinding--terrible. It scudded along the hill-side,
driven by the wind, with a fury which broke the boughs, snapped the
strong rushes, and flooded everything.

Redbud, who was as brave a girl as ever lived, drew her chip hat
closer on her brow, and laughed. Fanny laughed for company, but it was
rather affected, and the gentlemen did not consider themselves called
upon to do likewise.

"Oh, me!" cried Verty, "you'll be drenched, Redbud! I must do
something for your shoulders. They are almost bare!"

And before Redbud could prevent him, the young man drew off his
fur fringed coat and wrapped it round the girl's shoulders, with a
tenderness which brought the color to her cheek.

Redbud in vain remonstrated--Verty was immovable; and to divert her,
called her attention to the goings on of Ralph.

This young gentleman had no sooner seen Verty strip off his coat for
Redbud, than with devoted gallantry he jerked off his own, and threw
it over Miss Fanny; not over her shoulders only, but her head,
completely blinding her: the two arms hanging down, indeed, like
enormous ears from the young girl's cheeks.

Having achieved this feat, Mr. Ralph hurried on--followed Verty and
Redbud over the log, treating Miss Fanny much after the fashion of the
morning; and so in ten minutes they reached the house at the foot of
the hill, and were sheltered.

Fanny overflowed with panting laughter as she turned and threw the
coat back to Ralph.

"There, sir!" she cried, "there is your coat! How very gallant in you!
I shall never--no, sir, never forget your devotedness!"

And the young girl wrung the water from her curls, and laughed.

"Nothing more natural, my dear," said Ralph.

"Than what?"

"My devotedness."

"How?"

"Can you ask?"

"Yes, sir, I can."

"Would you have me a heathen?"

"A heathen!"

"Yes, Miss Fanny; the least which would be expected of a gentleman
would be more than I have done, under the circumstances, and with the
peculiar relationship between us.

"Oh, yes, cousinship!"

"No, madam, intended wedlock."

"Sir!"

"Come, don't blush so, my heart's delight," said Ralph, "and if the
subject is disagreeable, that is, a reference to it in this public
manner, I will say no more."

"Hum!"--

"There, now--"

"I think that