[Illustration: The coming storm.]

They reached the porch just as it began to fall thick and fast. A moment
more and it came down in floods, while at the same time the darkness
passed away.

"How cool it is growing!" said Mrs. Leonard.

"It is twelve degrees cooler than it was at noon," said Donald, looking
at the thermometer. "See, the wind has changed. It is from the northeast
now."

Frank went into the dining-room, and when he came back he said, "The
barometer has risen two-tenths of an inch since we looked at it last."

It seemed to rain harder than ever. The water was driven in sheets
before the strong northeast wind. A stream began to run down the garden
path. A vivid flash of lightning was followed quickly by a loud crash of
thunder.

"That struck somewhere near," said Frank.

"I believe it was over in the wood," said Mrs. Leonard.

"See," said Uncle Robert in a few moments, pointing to a line of light
in the western sky, "it is clearing already. The shower will soon be
over."

The light in the west grew rapidly. The lightning became less frequent.
The thunder rolled farther and farther away. The rain fell less and less