lace they occupied became the very center
of enthusiasm. Reddy, who was playing left end on the home team,
received an ovation every time he made a move, and when towards the end
of the game he made a touchdown, his friends nearly split their loyal
throats in expressing their approval.

It was over at last, and Oakdale had won a complete victory over the
Georgetown foe, who took their defeat with becoming grace. As soon as
Reddy could free himself from the grasp of his school fellows, who would
have borne him from the field in triumph if he had not stoutly resisted,
he hurried to his friends, who showered him with congratulations.

"O you Titian-haired star!" cried Hippy, clasping his hands in mock
admiration. "You are the rarest jewel in the casket. Words fail to
express my feelings.

"'O joy, O bliss, O rapture! Let happiness now hap!
I am a sea of gurgling glee, with ecstacy on tap.'"

Hippy recited this effusion in a killing falsetto voice, and endeavored
to embrace Reddy fervently, but was dragged back by Tom and David, to
Reddy's visible relief.

"He's the idol of the hour. Don't put your irreverent hands on him," was
David's injunction.

"But I adore idols," persisted Hippy. "Let me at him."

"Quit it, fat one!" growled Reddy, with a grin. "I'll settle with you
later."

With gay laughter and jest, the young folks made their way from the
grounds and started down the road toward home.

The whole party, walking four abreast, had just turned the curve where
the road ended and Main Street began, when there was a hoarse honk!
honk! and a runabout decorated in blue and white, containing Eleanor and
Edna Wright, bore down upon them at lightning speed. The girls, uttering
little cries of alarm, scattered to both sides of the road, with the
exception of Mabel Allison, who, in her hurry to get out of the way,
stumbled and fell directly in the path of the oncoming machine.

CHAPTER XIII

A THANKSGIVING FROLIC

But sudden as had been Mabel's fall, Grace Harlowe was equal to the
emergency. With a bound she reached the middle of the road, seized Mabel
and dragged her back just as the runabout passed over the place where
she had fallen. It almost grazed her outstretched hand, then shot on
down the road without slackening its speed for an instant.

There was a cry of horror from the young folks that ended in a sigh of
relief. David and Tom Gray quickly raised Mabel to her feet and tur