ace again.

"O-o-o-oh! If you don't take these lines I'll drop 'em, so there!"

"Don't y' do it," he called warningly, but she did, and boxed his ears
soundly while he was getting Marc in hand again. Bettie's rage was
fleeting as the blown breath from Marc's nostrils, and when Milton
turned to her again all was as if his deportment had been grave and
cavalier.

The stinging air made itself felt, and they drew close under their huge
buffalo robes as Marc strode steadily forward. The dark groves fell
behind, the clashing bells marked the rods and miles and kept time to
the songs they hummed.

"Jingle, bells! Jingle, bells!
Jingle all the way.
Oh, what joy it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh."

They overtook another laughing, singing load of young folks--a great
wood sleigh packed full with boys and girls, two and two--hooded girls,
and boys with caps drawn down over their ears. A babel of tongues arose
from the sweeping, creaking bob-sleigh, and rose into the silent air
like a mighty peal of laughter.

II.

A school-house set beneath the shelter of great oaks was the center of
motion and sound. On one side of it the teams stood shaking their bells
under their insufficient blankets, making a soft chorus of fitful trills
heard in the pauses of the merry shrieks of the boys playing "pom-pom
pullaway" across the road before the house, which radiated light and
laughter. A group of young men stood on the porch as Milton drove up.

"Hello, Milt," said a familiar voice as he reined Marc close to the
step.

"That you, Shep?"

"Chuss, it's me," replied Shep.

"How'd you know me so far off?"

"Puh! Don't y' s'pose I know that horse an' those bells--Miss Moss,
allow me"---- He helped her out with elaborate courtesy. "The supper and
the old folks are _here_, and the girls and boys and the fun is over to
Dudley's," he explained as he helped Bettie out.

"I'll be back soon's I put my horse up," said Milton to Bettie. "You go
in and get good 'n' warm, and then we'll go over to the house."

"I saved a place in the barn for you, Milt. I knew you'd never let Marc
stand out in the snow," said Shephard as he sprang in beside Milton.

"I knew you would. What's the news? Is Ed here t'night?"

"Yeh-up. On deck with S'fye Kinney. It'll make him _swear_ when he finds
out who Bettie come with."

"Let him. Are the Yohe boys here?"

"Yep. They're alwiss on hand, like a sore thumb. Bill's been drinking,
a