"Are you sure you are not hurt at all?" he asked solicitously. "Not a bit--only muddy," she replied, stooping to brush her earth-stained hands through the rain-laden grass at the roadside. He was still working with the straps when her hands were cleaned and watched her openly as she shielded her face behind Patsie's head while waiting. The water dripped from the ends of her braided brown hair and the long dark lashes of her brown eyes were mist-laden also. He examined all the accoutrements of her mount minutely. When at last it occurred to her that he was giving them extra attention for the sake of extending the time Elizabeth's eyes lighted up with a humorous twinkle. The young man caught and rightly interpreted the expression and was embarrassed. "I think it's all right," he said quickly. "I'm awfully sorry to have been so stupid. I never thought of meeting any one in all this rain." Elizabeth took that as a reflection upon her presence out of doors on such a day, and leading her horse down into the deep road sprang into the saddle from the bank before he could offer his assistance. "Thank you for helping me," she said, and was off toward the west before he could speak. She was gone, and he could do nothing but look after her helplessly. "Your horse has lamed itself," he called when he was at last able to concern himself with such matters, but either the spattering hoofbeats prevented her hearing his voice or she was determined not to reply; he could not tell which. There was nothing to do but return to his wagon. "Confound it!" he exclaimed. "Now you've made an ass of yourself and let her get away without finding out who she was or where she lived." He liked her--and he was an ass! He anathematized himself openly. When well away from the man, Elizabeth saw that his observation regarding the prospects of meeting people on such a day was a perfectly natural one and not aimed at her at all. She laughed at the spectacle she was sure she must have presented, and wished now that she had not been in such a hurry in leaving him. Here was a man worth looking at. The gesture as he had lifted his hat indicated refinement. "Curious that I haven't seen him--he lives here some where," she pondered, and now that she could not find out she rated herself severely for the embarrassment which was apt to assail her at critical moments. Patsie limped miserably, and Elizabeth brought her down to a walk and let her droop along the old country road, and speculated on this new specimen of masculinity which had dropped from the skies to puzzle and delight her soul.