girls, as the boy reached the elevation where the professor stood.

One of the girls ran to meet him, her cheeks aglow, her lips smiling, and
her brown eyes dancing. She looked so much like the boy that there could
be no doubt of their relationship.

"Hello, Grace!" Walter called to his sister, in response.

But his gaze went past the chubby figure of his shy sister to another
girl who, with her chum, was in the lead of the four tugging at the
rope of the gaily painted bobsled. This particular girl's bright and
animated countenance smiled back at Walter cordially, and she waved a
mittened hand.

"Hi, Walter!" she called.

"Hi, Nan!" was his reply.

The others he welcomed with a genial hail. Bess Harley, who toiled along
beside her chum, said with a flashing smile and an imp-light of
naughtiness in either black eye:

"You and Walter Mason are just as thick as leaves on a mulberry tree, Nan
Sherwood! I saw you whispering together the other day when Walter came
with his cutter to take Grace for a ride. Is he going to take you for a
spin behind that jolly black horse of his?"

"No, honey," replied Nan, placidly. "And I wouldn't go without you, you
know very well."