"Oh! wouldn't you, Nan? Not even with Walter?"

"Certainly not!" cried Nan Sherwood, big-eyed at the suggestion.

"Only because Dr. Beulah wouldn't hear of such an escapade, I guess,"
said the wicked Bess, laughing.

"Now! just for that," Nan declared, pretending to be angry, "I won't tell
you--yet--what we were talking about."

"You and Walter?"

"Walter and I--yes."

"Secrets from your chum, Nan! You're always having something on the side
that you don't tell me," pouted Bess.

"Nonsense! Don't you know Christmas is coming and everybody has secrets
this time of year?"

"Hurry up, girls!" commanded the red-haired girl who was helping pull on
the rope directly behind the chums. "I'm walking on your heels. It will
be night before we get on the slide."

"We're in the lead," Bess flared back. "Don't be afraid, Laura."

"That may be," said Laura Polk, "but I don't want Linda Riggs and her
crowd right on top of us. They're so mean. They came near running into us
the other day."