214 THE FANTASIES OF FERNS 



down the river valley in intermittent gusts. I 

 watched some tall Grasses that were bunched at 

 the road edge just above the hollow in the bank 

 that held the Ferns. The breeze always struck 

 them a second or so before the Maidenhair began 

 to vibrate. 



I explained the fact to Flower Hat, and sta- 

 tioned her a few steps back of me as a sentinel, 

 to cry "Now!" when the Grasses signaled the 

 wind's coming. Two plates only remained from 

 the afternoon's photo -sketching, and I jarred the 

 camera through haste in exposing the first. 



With the last it was now or never! The lens' 

 eye was opened and closed six separate times to 

 avoid gusts, before the measure of time was given. 

 Yet, there is the picture of the Maidenhair poised 

 motionless ! 



"If you had taken a moment longer, I should 

 have screamed, from the tension of watching the 

 breeze," said Flower Hat. "I wonder what time it 

 is. I forgot my watch to-day and the sun is n't 

 as low as it ought to be, considering how long it 

 is since we had luncheon." 



I too was watchless, so I suggested that we 

 should ask the time as we passed Aspetuck post- 

 office, but they did n't know: "The clock broke 



