elders may have had
reason to complain. Periwinkle and Pearl were also there, taking their
first skating lesson. The teacher, watching at the window, was glad to
see that Emil Maise and Washington Grey were helping Peri, while the
girls of both "clans" were trying to keep Pearl on her feet.

After school was dismissed Pearl and Peri in company with one of their
second cousins (George--a freckled-face red-headed youngster) hurried to
a pond that glistened in the field back of Robert Grey's home. The three
had been there but a few minutes when a wistful little face peered at
them from Mr. Grey's back fence. It was Kitty Farwell's second son,
timid little Bobby, one of the primary pupils at the village school.
Pearl called to him to join them.

Bobby came running gleefully, his red-stockinged legs kicking up the
soft snow in mimic clouds. After racing with the little chap for a few
minutes, Pearl ran back to the older lads to have her skates put on
again. Then laughing and shouting, the three joined hands and skated
along the pond edge while little Bobby, left alone, slid nearer and
nearer toward the center of the pond. Suddenly a piercing scream reached
the ears of the three skaters and they turned just in time to see
Bobby's golden head disappear under the ice. For a moment all stood
still as though rooted to the spot; then Pearl and George ran as fast as
their legs could carry them to the house of Mr. Grey. Peri, obeying the
heroic impulse of his brave heart ran quickly but cautiously toward the
thinning ice in the centre of the pond. Bobby had come to the surface
and, though much frightened, had managed to grasp the edge of the broken
ice. When Periwinkle came within a few feet of the child he flung
himself down and wriggled carefully toward Bobby until he was able to
get hold of his collar. In this position he managed to hold Bobby's head
above water, but found it perilous to move or attempt to pull him up on
the ice. His right arm grew numb with the weight and his left hand,
cramped and twisted by his sprawling posture, pained him severely. He
knew that help would come soon, but an eternity seemed to pass before he
heard Mr. Grey's encouraging call, "Hold on Peri, just a minute longer."
Periwinkle did hang on desperately until Mr. Grey, with the help of
rails and a rope, rescued them both from their dangerous position. Then
Periwinkle grew faint and dizzy and knew nothing more until he found
himself on Mr. Grey's c