I urged her not for a moment to think of me. I was hardy, and did notmind rain, and when I was mounted upon my wheel the exercise wouldkeep me warm enough until I reached a place of shelter.

"I do not like it," she exclaimed. "It is cruel and inhuman, and nothingyou can say will make it any much better. But the fact is that I findmyself in a somewhat--Well, I do not know what to say about it. You arethe school-teacher at Walford, are you not?"

This question surprised me, and I assented quickly, wondering whatwould come next.

"I thought so," she exclaimed. "I occasionally have seen you on the road on your wheel,and some one told me whom you were. And now, since you have been sokind to me, I am going to tell you exactly why I cannot ask you tostop at our house. Everything is all wrong there to-day, and if Idon't explain what has happened, you might think that things areworse than they really are, and I wouldn't want anybody to thinkthat."

[Illustration: "THE RAIN WAS C0MING D0WN HARD"]