ch we indulged on our way home, Aggie being my
guest at the time, on account of her janitor's children having measles,
and Aggie never having had them, although recalling a severe rash as a
child, with other measly symptoms.

"She has something in mind for next summer," said Aggie apprehensively,
"and she is preparing her strength for it. Tish is forehanded if nothing
else."

"Well," I remarked with some bitterness, "if we are going along it might
be well to prepare us too."

"Something," Aggie continued, "that requires landing on one foot with
the other in the air."

"Don't drivel," said I. "She's not likely going into the Russian ballet.
She's training her muscles, that's all."

But the mystery was solved the following morning when Charlie Sands
called me up.

"I've got it, beloved aunt," he said.

"Got what?" said I.

"What the old lady is up to. She's a wonder, and no mistake. Only I
think it was stingy of her not to let you and Aunt Aggie in."

He asked me to get Aggie and meet him at the office as soon as possible,
but he refused to explain further. And he continued to refuse until we
had arrived at our destination, a large brick building in the center of
the city.

"Now," he said, "take a long breath and go in. And mind--no excitement."

We went in. There was a band playing and people circling at a mile a
minute. In the center there was a cleared place, and Tish was there on
ice skates. An instructor had her by the arm, and as we looked she waved
him off, gave herself a shove forward with one foot, and then, with her
arms waving, she made a double curve, first on one foot and then on the
other.

"The outside edge, by George!" said Charlie Sands. "The old sport!"

Unluckily at that moment Tish saw us, and sat down violently on the ice.
And a quite nice-looking young man fell over her and lay stunned for
several seconds. We rushed round the arena, expecting to see them both
carried out, but Tish was uninjured, and came skating toward us with her
hands in her pockets. It was the young man who had to be assisted out.

"Well," she said, fetching up against the railing with a bang, "of
course you had to come before I was ready for you! In a week I'll really
be skating."

We said nothing, but looked at her, and I am afraid our glances showed
disapproval, for she straightened her hat with a jerk.

"Well?" she said. "You're not tongue-tied all of a sudden, are you?
Can't a woman take a little exercise