"Oh, you can't go, Lucy," said Ollie; "see how that great tree bends; why, you couldn't keep on your feet for one minute."
Just then they looked out of the window and saw Ollie's father riding by. He had just stopped to speak to some one, and Ollie, losing no time, opened the window and called to him.
"Papa, papa," she called, "do you think it is safe for Lucy to try to go home?"
The wind was making such a terrible noise that Ollie's voice could not be heard.
Mr. Rogers dismounted and came to the window. He did not think it at all safe for Lucy to go home in such a gale, and promised instead to go to Mr. Coit's house and beg permission for Lucy to stay all night with Ollie.
Of course both of the children were overjoyed with this arrangement, and begun at once to amuse themselves. Ollie's papa soon came back, bringing with him a bag for Lucy, which contained everything that she could possibly want during the night.
The wind, instead of abating, increased in fury. It roared and screamed about the house like an angry wild beast. It caught up the clothes which old Milly had spread upon the grass to bleach, and whirled them round and round in circles over the house, and carried them off no one knew where. It seized the old bucket which hung in the well, and swung it back and forth with such force that no one dared go near enough to fasten it.
At eight o'clock the children went to bed, and in spite of the wind they were soon sleeping soundly. All was still within the house, and both Lucy and Ollie were too much used to storms on the sea-shore to be disturbed by them.