as the weather was clear and cold there was good prospect of many days'
fun.

Uncle Robert, always ready to give the young people a good time, instigated
a sleighing parade, in which all the society people of Elmbridge were
invited to join.

It was to be a grand affair. Every sleigh was to be decorated in beautiful
or unique fashion, and there was great rivalry among the families of
Elmbridge as to whose sleigh should present the finest spectacle.

"Papa," said Ethelyn, "I shall drive Patricia in my little cutter, of
course, and I want you to fix it up, somehow, so that it will beat
everybody else all hollow."

"Ethelyn," said her mother, "if you don't stop using those slang phrases,
you shan't go in the parade at all. Now promise to talk like a lady, and
I'll see to it that your sleigh outshines all the rest."

"All right," said Ethelyn, "I'll promise. Now, how shall we decorate it?"

"Never mind," said her mother, "I wouldn't trust you with the secret. You'd
tell everybody before the parade, and give them a chance to imitate it. But
just wait and see. You and Patricia shall drive the most beautiful turnout
in the whole line."

That day Mrs. St. Clair made a hurried trip to New York and came home with
many mysterious packages, and other larger packages came by express. Mr.
St. Clair came home early from his business and spent much of his time in
the barn, and the preparations grew so exciting that both Patty and Ethelyn