ssoms.

"Aw--flowers! Huh!" grunted Marty, in disappointment.

"I am glad you like them so," said Nelson Haley. "Marty, I didn't bring
them to _you_. But here is something that will please you better, I
know," and he put into the boy's hand a combination pocketknife that
would have delighted any out-of-door youth. "Only you must give me a
penny for it. I don't believe in giving sharp-edged presents to friends.
It cuts friendship, they say," and the collegian laughed.

"Golly! that's a dandy!" acknowledged Marty. "Here's your cent. Thanks!
See what Mr. Haley gimme, Maw!" and he rushed into the house to display
his treasure.

Haley and Janice were left alone in a sheltered corner of the porch.

"Oh, Mr. Haley," the girl repeated. "How lovely they are! And how kind
of you to get them for me! How did you ever secure such fresh cut
flowers 'way up here? Nobody has a hothouse in Poketown."

"They come from Colonel Van Dyne's place at the Landing."

"'Way down there!" exclaimed Janice, in wonder. "Why, it's farther than
Middletown. That's where I took the boat to get here?"

"I guess so, Miss Janice."

"But--but the boats aren't running," she cried, in amazement. "And
these flowers are so fresh."

"_My_ boat is running," and Haley laughed. "I brought them up for you
yesterday afternoon. Got in just before it began to snow hard."

"Mr. Haley! The lake is frozen solidly!"

"Sure," he laughed. "But my boat sails on the ice. Didn't you hear that
I had built the _Fly-by-Night_? It's an ice boat--and it's a dandy! I
hope to take you out in it----"

"An ice boat?" cried Janice. "Oh! you can--you shall! You can take me to
the Landing. There is a telegraph office there, isn't there?"

"Why--why----Yes! At the railroad station," the young man admitted,
rather amazed.

Janice stepped up to him, with the pasteboard box of flowers in her
arms, and her eyes shining in expectation.

"Oh, Mr. Haley! You _must_ take me down there. Won't you?"

Marty ran out again, and heard what she said. "Where you goin'?" he
demanded. "Mr. Haley can't ice boat you to Middletown."

"To the Landing," begged Janice.

"By jinks! so he can," shouted the boy. "Lemme go, too, Mr. Haley.
You'll want somebody to 'tend sheet on the _Fly-by-Night_."

"But I do not understand?" queried the teacher, staring from one to the
other of the excited pair.

"You--you tell him, Marty!" said Janice, turning toward the door. "I
must put these beautiful fl