"I could run like this for a long distance." [Illustration: "I PUT ON MY COAT"] She looked up at me with a little smile.

I think she must have forgotten the pain in her foot.
"It must be nice to be strong like that," she said.
Now the rain came down faster, and my companion declared that I ought to stop and put on my coat.

I agreed to this, and when I came to a suitable tree by the road-side, I carefully leaned her against it and detached my coat from my bicycle.

But just as I was about to put it on I glanced at the young girl.

She had on a thin shirt-waist, and I could see that the shoulders of it were already wet.