th you."

"No, Will," said Amy, in a low voice. "I had rather go alone, really I
would. Just tell the girls----"

She hesitated again, and seemed unable to speak.

"Tell them I am all right--that I want to be alone. They will
understand."

"Very well." He skated with her to the bank, where she sat on a log.
Then, with her skates dangling over her shoulder, Amy set off across the
snow-covered fields alone--with bowed head--and into her eyes the tears
came again as she thought of what she had heard.

Will watched her, shook his head once or twice, as though puzzled, and
then skated back toward his sister and the others.

"Where's Amy?" Grace demanded, anxiously, as he came in sight.

"Gone home."

"Home? Why didn't you go with her?" asked Mollie, quickly.

"She wouldn't let me. Say, she acted mighty funny. She was skating
along, looking down, and she came within a few feet of going into an air
hole. I had to almost knock her to one side. She seemed dazed. Did
anything happen?"

"Yes, there did," said Grace, promptly. "And the less said about it the
better. It was that horrid Alice Jallow making slurring remarks about
Amy. We won't take any notice of her after this. Oh, how mean she is!"
Briefly, she told Will what had happened.

"That accounts for it," he said. "Poor Amy! No wonder she didn't look
where she was going. She might have been drowned."

"Don't say that!" cried Betty, sharply.

"Why not, when it's the truth?"

Betty gave the woman's reason.

"Because."

Frank and Allen came skating up.

"Come!" cried Grace, as joyfully as possible under the circumstances.
"The prizes--our chocolates, boys!"

"Of course!" added Allen. "But where is Amy?"

"She'll be along later--maybe," and Will winked at his chum as a signal
not to be too inquisitive. The young lawyer understood and nodded.

Soon the party of young people were in a drug store, partaking of hot
chocolates, and talking of the fun on the ice, while Grace spent some
time at the candy counter, selecting a new variety of chocolates.

That evening Betty and Mollie called on Grace.

"Let's go over and cheer Amy up," proposed Betty, who was always
thinking of some kindness.

"All right," agreed Grace. "Come into the library a moment. I'll get you
that book I promised, Betty. Oh, it's just splendid! You won't stop
until you finish it."

"Good!"

"Oh, Papa, I didn't know you were here!" exclaimed Grace, as, leading
her chums into the libr