ines. The berries make lovely
decorations. And the milk weed pods, too--I have some still from last
year."

"It must be glorious in autumn," Cleo answered. "If mother and father
get back from their tour in time we might take a house out here,
instead of a New York apartment."

"Let's cut through the golf links, then we will be up near the mountain
house and we can stop in the observatory. Have you taken in the view
yet?" asked Lalia.

"No, but we would love to," answered Cleo. "Auntie told us we should
take her field glasses for it though."

"It would be better to look through the glasses, of course, but even
with the naked eye you get a wonderful view. What's the matter, Grace?
Getting too warm?"

Grace had taken off her neckerchief, and was carrying her hat, and
puffing audibly.

"Yes, I am warm. Your mountains are lovely to look at, but a little
hard to tread even for us True Treds. Either that or we are going to
have a shower!" surmised Grace.

"Both!" declared Lalia, "just look at that cloud! It's swooping down
like a big black blanket. Now we have got to hurry. We must get to
the mountain house or we will be drenched. There's no other possible
shelter."

"Away up there?" inquired Cleo, pointing to the hotel on top of the
hill. "I don't believe we can ever get there before your blanket dumps
its contents. See, it threatens to burst now!"

At that moment a vivid flash of lightning cut from one black hill in
the clouds and buried itself behind another. As if piercing the
fathomless blanket and renting holes in its inky cover, a downpour of
rain broke through, and even before reaching the earth it could now be
seen descending in a heavy mist at the hill top.

"There we are!" shouted Lalia, "and here we are--all dressed up and no
place to duck! We can't reach the Mountain House. Let's make for that
rock! It may afford some shelter."

Without thought of dissent Cleo and Grace followed their leader through
the now pouring shower. The rain seemed almost solid, its sheets were
so dense in the downfall, and the terrific peals of thunder, that
echoed and rolled over the hills, gave such monstrous volumes of sound
as only the big canyons between solid rocks emit. It seemed the stones
themselves would be torn out from their pits in the frightful
vibrations.

Already thoroughly drenched, the girls in scout uniform seemed scarcely
better off than Lalia in her pretty gingham, the summer weight