with biting, wintry air, but there
was no sign of snow to make the boys happy, and give them an opportunity
of realizing the much wished for sleigh ride.

"We had better go to town and get some of the shopping over with,"
suggested Dorothy to Tavia, when they had convinced the boys that it was
too cold to go auto riding, and that this was the very best day in the
week to do Christmas buying.

"All right, Doro," answered Tavia. "You're the coacher. I'll go wherever
you like, only please don't ask me to select anything to go out to
Glenwood--I want to forget there is such a place as Glenwood School."

"Why, Tavia!" exclaimed Dorothy. "You are surely going to send some
remembrance to Mrs. Pangborn! Surely you would not forget the principal,
even if you do overlook the teachers."

"Not a thing," declared Tavia, shaking her bronze head decidedly. "Fact
is, I'm awfully hard up, Doro, and I would rather forget Pangborn than--go
without a month's supply of fudge."

"Hard up! Why, Tavia, you wrote me you had five dollars to spend."

"So I did--then, but I lost it since."

"Lost it? How? Wasn't that too bad!"

"I should say so," replied Tavia, turning to her memorandum book, as if to
dismiss the subject.

"But how did you lose it, Tavia?" persisted the sympathetic Dorothy.

"Oh, I didn't exactly lose it, but I had to spend it for other things,"
said Tavia with a show of impatience.

"Then I'm just going to divide with you," declared Dorothy, for she knew
perfectly well that Tavia was not in the circumstances that she herself
enjoyed, surmised that indeed Tavia did have to spend her holiday money
for some needed articles.

"Oh, no, thank you," objected Tavia, the color racing into her cheeks, "I
suppose I might have done without--"

"Now, you must let me have my way, Tavia," insisted Dorothy, instantly
opening her pretty beaded purse to divide its contents.

"But, Doro, dear," faltered Tavia, "you don't understand. It was not for
anything for myself--"

"Then all the more reason that you should be reimbursed," insisted
Dorothy. "I don't want to know anything about it, but you must let me
share with you. Why, what fun would I have giving and buying, with you
just looking on?"

So Tavia said no more, but as she accepted the money from her loyal little
friend a guilty flush would persist in staining her cheeks, and she
avoided Dorothy's wondering blue eyes when she asked:

"Now, what are you going to send home?