It was followed by several moments of incessant lightning that played along the road and danced in the fields.
From that intolerable brightness he turned his head and saw, standing against the fence, five feet away, a man, leaning over the top rail and looking at him.
The same flash staggered brilliantly before Helen's eyes as she crouched against the back steps of the brick house.

It scarred a picture like a marine of big waves: the tossing tops of the orchard trees; for in the same second the full fury of the storm was loosed, wind and rain and hail.

It drove her against the kitchen door with cruel force; the latch lifted, the door blew open violently, and she struggled to close it in vain.

The house seemed to rock.

A lamp flickered toward her from the inner doorway and was blown out.
"Helen! Helen!" came Minnie's voice, anxiously.