through yet. A north wind
might set Charlie's timber afire in a dozen places."

"Oh, for a rain," she sighed.

"If wishing for rain brought it," he laughed, "we'd have had a second
flood. We've got to keep pegging away till it does rain, that's all. We
can't do much, but we have to keep doing it. You'll have to go back to
the Springs to-morrow, I'm afraid, Stella. I'll have to stay on the
firing line, literally."

"I don't want to," she cried rebelliously. "I want to stay up here with
you. I'm not wax. I won't melt."

She continued that argument into the house, until Fyfe laughingly
smothered her speech with kisses.

* * * * *

An oddly familiar sound murmuring in Stella's ear wakened her. At first
she thought she must be dreaming. It was still inky dark, but the air
that blew in at the open window was sweet and cool, filtered of that
choking smoke. She lifted herself warily, looked out, reached a hand
through the lifted sash. Wet drops spattered it. The sound she heard was
the drip of eaves, the beat of rain on the charred timber, upon the
dried grass of the lawn.

Beside her Fyfe was a dim bulk, sleeping the dead slumber of utter
weariness. She hesitated a minute, then shook him.

"Listen, Jack," she said.

He lifted his head.

"Rain!" he whispered. "Good night, Mister Fire. Hooray!"

"I brought it," Stella murmured sleepily. "I wished it on Roaring Lake
to-night."

Then she slipped her arm about his neck, and drew his face down to her
breast with a tender fierceness, and closed her eyes with a contented
sigh.

THE END

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