suggesting that we all go to bed," laughed
he. "I am quite as tired as the boys are."

The amendment was passed, the motion carried, and soon the entire Tolman
family was wrapped in sleep.

CHAPTER XVIII

A THANKSGIVING TRAGEDY

Perhaps had Stephen known what was in store for him on the morrow he
might not have slept so soundly. As it was, he and Dick had to be called
three times before they opened their eyes on the Thanksgiving sunshine.
A heavy frost had fallen during the night, touching the trees with
splendor and transforming the brown earth to a jewelled sweep of gems
that flashed like brilliants in the golden light. The boys scrambled
into their clothes and, ruddy from a cold shower, descended to the
dining room where amid the fragrance of steaming coffee the family were
just sitting down to breakfast.

"Well, what is up for to-day, boys?" inquired Mrs. Tolman, after the
more formal greetings were over. "What are you planning to do with Dick,
Stephen?"

"We're going skating over to the Hollow if the ice is any good," was the
prompt response. "It was fine yesterday and unless somebody has smashed
it all up it ought to be good to-day."

"That plan sounds rather nice, doesn't it, Jane?" Doris suggested to her
roommate. "Why don't we go, too?"

"I'd like nothing better," was the answer.

"The youngsters have sketched a very alluring program," Mr. Ackerman
said. "If I had any skates I should be tempted to join them. I have not
been on the ice in years but in my day I used to be quite a hockey
player."

"Oh, do come, Mr. Ackerman!" cried Steve eagerly. "If you used to skate
it will all come back to you. It is like swimming, you know; once you
have learned you never forget how."

"But I've nothing to skate with," laughed the New Yorker.

"Oh, we can fix you up with skates all right, if you really want to go,"
Mr. Tolman said. "I have a couple of pairs and am sure you could manage
to use one of them."

"So you are a skater, are you, Tolman?" the capitalist observed, with
surprise.

"Oh, I am nothing great," Mr. Tolman protested, "but I have always
enjoyed sports and muddled along at them. Coventry is quite a distance
from Broadway, you see, and therefore we must get our recreation in
other ways."

"It is a darn sight better than anything New York has to offer,"
commented the other man soberly. "Good wholesome out-of-door exercise is
not to be mentioned in the same breath with a hot theater whe