She turned to the index, which referred her to the 37th page. Minerva looked over her shoulder in the way she should not have done and no sooner did she see the flower picture than she said, “Oh, Lawdy, that makes me homesick. I’ve seen that in the park.” “Oh, surely not,” said Ethel. “Let’s see what it says.” “Mmmmmm,” she mumbled over the early part of the description and then she came to, ‘The flower when seen explains its two English titles. It is accessible to every New Yorker, for in early April it whitens many of the shaded ledges in the upper part of the Central Park.’ Why, you were right, Minerva. I dare say you know more about such things than I do.” “Why, Mis. Vernon, I haven’ any grudge aginst country if o’ny city is a few blocks off. My, if I could run down now an’ see my folks I’d bring ’em up here to-morrer. I used to go to the park often my day out, but the city’s all around it an’ up here the country’s so big it—oh, Lawdy, what was that?” It was a flash of lightning, followed by a clap of thunder that told us a storm was close at hand. “Ooh, let’s get under the trees,” said Minerva, her face showing abject terror. “That would be the last thing to do,” said I. “Well, let’s do it first, then,” said she, all unconscious of the witticism. The black clouds had been coming swiftly and now in the southwest we heard the noise of rain. We could see it falling on Egerton and could mark its approach up the hills to where we were standing. The flashes of lightning grew more blinding and the thunder claps followed more and more quickly. We were in for a wetting, that was sure. Minerva threw herself on her face in the soft moss and began to pray, “Oh, Lawd,” said she; “Don’t send any messengers to take me, out here in the country. Let me go back to the city befo’—Oh, Lawdy.” This break in the prayer was caused by a flash and a peal that were almost simultaneous, and down in a forest of walnuts below us there was a sound of riven wood. “Dear, I wish we were home,” said Ethel, drawing a long breath and coming close to me. “Well, we are probably safer here than at home. It’ll be over soon.” And now the rain came down in sheets. We were wet to the skin in two minutes. Minerva in a heap on the ground moaned and prayed and ejaculated and Ethel clung to me and shuddered at each awful peal and each blinding flash. My clothes hung in bags about me and leaked at a dozen points.