Grace Lavine jumped, Grace was
a great jumper and had already passed forty when her mother called to
her from the window.

"Grace, don't jump so much. You'll get sick."

"Oh, no, I won't," returned Grace. She was a headstrong girl and always
wanted her own way.

"But jumping gave you a headache only last week," continued Mrs. Lavine.
"Now, don't do too much of it," and then the lady closed the window and
went back to her interrupted work.

"Oh, dear, mamma made me trip," sighed Grace. "I don't think that was
fair."

"But your mamma doesn't want you to jump any more," put in another girl,
Nellie Parks by name.

"Oh, she didn't say that. She said not to jump too much."

It was now Nan's turn to jump and she went up to twenty-seven and then
tripped. Nellie followed and reached thirty-five. Then came another girl
who jumped to fifty-six.

"I'm going a hundred this time," said Grace, as she skipped into place.

"Oh, Grace, you had better not!" cried Nan.

"You're afraid I'll beat you," declared Grace.

"No, I'm not. But your mamma said----"

"I don't care what she said. She didn't forbid my jumping," cut in the
obstinate girl. "Are you going to turn or not?"

"Yes, I'll turn," replied Nan, and at once the jumping started. Soon
Grace had reached forty. Then came fifty, and then sixty.

"I do believe she will reach a hundred after all," declared Nellie
Parks, a little enviously.

"I will, if you turn steadily," answered Grace, in a panting voice. Her
face was strangely pale.

"Oh, Grace, hadn't you better stop?" questioned Nan. She was a little
frightened, but, nevertheless, kept on turning the rope.

"No!" puffed Grace. "Go--go on!"

She had now reached eighty-five. Nellie Parks was counting:

"Eighty-six, eighty-seven, eighty-eight, eighty-nine, ninety!" she went
on. "Ninety-one-, ninety-two----"

"No--not so--so fast!" panted Grace. "I--I--oh!"

And then, just as Nellie was counting "Ninety-seven," she sank down in a
heap, with her eyes closed and her face as white as a sheet.

For a moment the other girls looked on in blank wonder, not knowing what
to make of it. Then Nan gave a scream.

"Oh, girls, she has fainted!"

"Perhaps she is dead!" burst out Nellie Parks. "And if she is, we killed
her, for we turned the rope!"

"Oh, Nellie, please don't say that!" said Nan. She could scarcely speak
the words.

"Shall I go and tell Mrs. Lavine?" asked another girl who stood near.

"No--yes," ans