erienced."

"Grace Harlowe, do you think I did it on purpose?" demanded Miriam
furiously.

"I haven't insinuated anything, Miriam," replied Grace. "I simply wanted
to disabuse your mind of a mistake. That was all." And she turned away
from the angry girl.

All this time the other young people had said nothing. It was really an
embarrassing situation, considering that David had not said a word
either for or against his sister.

"I think we had better not coast any more to-night," said Nora, after a
pause. "David has hurt his hand and Anne is so shaken that it would be
well to give her something hot to drink. Come on, everybody."

"David, are you much hurt?" asked Grace uneasily.

"Nothing but a little cut," he said shortly, so shortly that Grace
flushed. Perhaps he was angry with her for having spoken out to Miriam.

"I hope you aren't hurt much, David," said Miriam.

David made no reply.

"David," she repeated in a louder voice.

But her brother had started down the hill, his hands in his pockets.
Nobody took much notice of Miriam as the young people followed after
him. Reddy Brooks was secretly congratulating himself that he hadn't
been riding behind her on the sled as she had wished, insisting that she
wanted to do the guiding herself. It was curious, he thought, and might
have resulted in a serious accident, at least to Anne if David hadn't
pulled her away. If Miriam had only thought to throw herself to the
right when she saw Anne in the way. Girls had no heads, anyway, that is,
most girls. Grace, he decided, was almost equal to a man for coolness
and good judgment. But there were few girls who could touch Grace
Harlowe; and he did a series of cartwheels in the snow to emphasize his
feelings, to the relief of everybody present, for the silence was
becoming uncomfortable.

"Nora," said Anne when they had reached town, "if you'll excuse me I
think I'll go home. I'm a little tired."

"I'll take you home, Anne," said David, who had heard her remark. "I
don't feel much like partifying either after this jolt. Come along,
little girl," and he tucked Anne's arm in his and marched her off
without another word.

"All my party is leaving before the party," cried Nora in despair.

"No, not all," replied Hippy Wingate. "There are still a few of us left,
and I promise to drink any extra chocolate you may happen to have."

"Don't give the animals sweets, Nora," exclaimed Reddy. "Especially the
hippopotamus. He ha