"Oh, Peter, I'm sorry." Two big tears stood in Janet's eyes. "I wish I hadn't asked you so many questions and started you remembering." "Oh, I'm always doing that anyway,"--Peter tried to laugh. "And I wanted to tell you about Dad anyway. Do you still feel like fishing?" he inquired, abruptly changing the subject. "Not 'specially," Janet admitted, "I'd rather just paddle." "Want me to teach you how!" "Oh, would you!" "Of course. Here, wait a minute and we'll land and change places. I wish I had another paddle, then you could paddle bow." The exchange of seats was made and the lessons began. Janet was an apt pupil, and Peter, remembering his father's instructions of long ago, did as well as instructor. Black clouds rolled up in the west without their noticing them, and it was not until a faint peal of thunder sounded that they realized that a storm was coming up. "Queer at this time of year, isn't it?" Peter asked, as Janet made for the bank and he took the paddle again. Janet shook her head. "We have pretty bad ones sometimes in the fall; sort of breaking up of summer, the fishermen say, and to-day has been hot, you know." "Well, there's no time to lose for it's coming fast. That creek's a bad place; the trees hide the sky." Peter took long firm strokes, and they were soon out into the bay. It was not long before the storm broke. A zig-zag of lightning and a sharp growl of thunder, and then the rain--great drops of it. The canoe bobbed up and down, but Peter managed to send it forward with every stroke. Janet, though she would never have admitted it, was thoroughly frightened, and Peter, kneeling in the stern, very calm and even smiling, began to assume in her eyes the guise of a hero. After several strenuous minutes that seemed like as many hours they landed just below the deserted house. "Let's go up and wait until it stops," Peter suggested as he turned the canoe over. "You can't possibly row home in this." Janet nodded, and they trudged up the hill. They were laughing when they reached the window. Once in the Kingdom with the rain shut out, they felt very secure. Peter pointed up to the ceiling. "It doesn't leak any more, thank goodness." Janet felt her nose and smiled. "Then I don't suppose I ought to mind this," she said. "It's still black and blue, and nobody can understand how I ever managed to cut it just there." "Well, you can't expect me to say I'm sorry." Peter laughed. "You might say that you wished we had met under different conditions," Janet suggested, but Peter wouldn't agree. "It was just right the way it was," he insisted. "I suppose so; anyway we'd never have had such fun together if we had been introduced. Just imagine, 'Janet, I want you to meet Mr. Peter Gibbs'; how silly it sounds."