rning David returned to join the others; for this was not the last of
the day's adventures and Julia Crosby, before sunset, was to repent of her
cruelty to Anne.

In the meantime Grace and Tom had skated up to the far end of the pond.

"Well, Grace," said Tom, "how has the world been using you? I suppose you
have been adding to your laurels as a basketball captain."

"Far from it," said Grace a trifle sadly. "Miriam Nesbit is star player at
present."

They skated on for some time in silence. Tom felt there was something
wrong, so he tactfully changed the subject.

"Who is the girl doing the fancy strokes?" he asked, pointing to Julia
Crosby, who, some distance ahead of them, was giving an exhibition of her
powers as a maker of figure eights and cross-cuts.

"That's the junior captain," answered Grace. "I hope she won't fall,
because she's heavy enough to go right through the ice if she should have
a hard tumble."

"Suppose we stop watching her," suggested Tom. "I don't want to see her
take a header, and people who show off on skates always do so, sooner or
later."

They changed their course toward the middle of the pond, while Julia, who
was turning and circling nearer the shore, watched them from one corner of
her eye.

Suddenly Grace stopped.

"Julia! Julia!" she cried. "Miss Crosby!"

"What's the matter?" demanded Tom.

"Don't you see the danger flag over there? She will skate into a hole if
she keeps on. The ice houses are near here, and I suppose it is where they
have been cutting ice."

"Hello-o!" cried Tom, straining his lungs to reach the skater, who looked
back, gave her usual tantalizing laugh and skated on.

"You are getting onto thin ice," screamed Grace in despair, beckoning
wildly. "Stop! Stop!"

Julia Crosby was skating backwards now, facing the others.

"Catch me if you can," she called, and the wind carried her words to them
as they flew after her.

Then Grace, who had been anxiously watching the skater and not the ice,
stumbled on a piece of frozen wood and fell headlong. She lay still for an
instant, half stunned by the blow, but even in that distressful moment she
could hear the other girl's derisive laughter.

Tom called again:

"You'll be drowned, if you don't look where you are going."

"Why don't you learn to skate?" was Julia's answer.

"O Tom," exclaimed Grace. "Leave me. I'll soon get my breath. Do go and
stop that girl. The pond's awfully deep there."

"Miss Crosb