om the clothes-tree in
the hall of Rosabell, raced over to cover the short distance to the
pavilion, where the crowd was seen to gather from all directions.

"What was struck?" Cleo asked a boy, who was trying to outdistance the
bright red fire engine.

"The pier, I guess," he replied, dashing on merrily at the prospect of
some real excitement.

A light film of smoke could now be seen steaming up through the rain at
the end of the pier. But it was not likely a fire could make much
headway in that downpour. The girls watched the rather primitive fire
apparatus, with keen interest. Crowds of boys, numbers of men, and a
scattering of girls and children, made the scene quite a lively one, to
say nothing of the shouting of the volunteer firemen--the only grade
that is allowed to shout at a fire. A line of hose was soon dragged out
to the end of the pier, and almost before the happy urchins realized it
the fire was out, back taps sounded from the tower in the village, and
the fun was over.

After the crowd had dispersed and the shower was entirely over, the
girls walked down the pier to inspect the damage. On one of the benches
near the end, an old man sat huddled alone, his fishing rod was at his
feet, and his basket was beside him on the bench. As they approached he
stood up, then sank down again unable to keep to his feet.

"He must have been out here when the lightning struck," said Louise.
"The poor old man!"

They came up to him and he smiled feebly.

"That was a big shower," said Helen by way of introduction.

"Mighty heavy, mighty heavy," he answered, his words short and his voice
very low.

"Were you out here then?" asked Grace, beginning to realize that the old
man must have been stunned.

"Yes, and--it near--finished me," he replied, again trying to stand but
ending by sinking back on the bench, heavier than before.

"Oh, you poor old man!" said Julia. "We must help you home. Where do you
live?"

"Couldn't help me home," he replied with a sigh. "I have a long walk
along the sand, and then the boat. Don't see how I'm going to make it
though. That flash just did me up," and he stooped to gather his fishing
things that had evidently been scattered when the hose was run down the
pier.

"Where do you live?" again asked Louise. "No matter how far away it is
we can help you. We can take you in a car."

"No cars go out that way," said the fisherman, mistaking Louise's
meaning.

"Oh, we mean in an autom