plainly the figures of the men in the flying boats. The clouds were rising so fast that the sun was soon hidden. Far out at sea, where the sun was still shining, a great ocean steamer was ploughing its way along as if squalls and storms were something that it had no concern with; but inside the harbor, all the little boats were making great haste to get to their piers before the storm broke. But few of them succeeded, though, for while the children watched down came the rain in a blinding flood that shut out everything from their view, and they were glad to escape from it into the house.
At first they were inclined to feel very much aggrieved that they could not get their walk and had to stay indoors, and Hal was a little bit cross, I am afraid. But mamma said that she was very glad of the rain, for it gave her time to see to the unpacking of the trunks, and she said that if they would be very good they might both help her. At this all Hal’s crossness disappeared, for there was nothing they both liked to do more than to help mamma. They emptied trunk after trunk, bringing armfuls of clothing to her to put away in drawers, and so
much engaged were they that they did not notice that the clouds had broken away, until a broad gleam of sunshine came boldly in at the western windows and lay in a yellow band across the floor. Yes, the shower was over, and the clouds were fast disappearing. That night the moon came as brightly in Dolly’s window as it had ever done, for not even a baby cloud was there to dim its splendor.