The children take of their coats and caps. Walter goes over by his
Grandfather and leans against his chair. Gertrude sits down on a low
stool beside her Grandmother.

What have you children been doing all the afternoon? asks
GRANDFATHER.

Oh, we've had the greatest fun, cries GERTRUDE. First we went
skating down on the mill pond.

And then we built a snow fort, WALTER chimes in, and the Indians
attacked it, and we drove them off with snow-balls.

And then we played tag out by the barn, adds GERTRUDE.

No, WALTER corrects her, that was afterwards; don't you remember,
Gertrude? Before that, we raced down to the crossroads to see if the
postman had brought any mail.

Oh, yes, GERTRUDE agrees, and you tripped and fell down in the snow
drift, and oh, grandfather, you ought to have seen him when he got up;
he was a sight. But it all brushed off.

And don't you feel tired after doing all that? GRANDMOTHER asks.

No, says GERTRUDE, I'm not a bit tired; are you, Walter?

Not a bit, says WALTER.