oke fun at us if we fall down," replied
Jessie.

"If you do poke fun, master Hugh," said Carrie, shaking her head at him,
"we will never consent to let you join our party again!"

"That will be _terrible_!" exclaimed Hugh, with mock gravity. "Why I'd
rather be drummed out of our Archery club than be turned off by the
ladies."

"Well, you may go this time, if you will carry my skates," said Jessie.

"Of course I will; and is there any thing else, in the small way, that
your most humble servant can do for you?" asked Hugh, bowing almost to the
ground.

A laugh greeted this act of mock humility, and then all parties prepared
to face the keen breeze in search of recreation on the ice.

"Where is Madge? is she ready?" shouted Jessie, as she stood at the foot
of the stairs, warmly muffled for her walk.

"Yes, Miss, here she is," replied Madge's mother, as she came to the top
of the stairs, leading her daughter by the hand.

Madge was dressed in an old plaid cloak, which had become too small for
Jessie, and in a scarlet hood which had been laid aside for the same
reason.

"A regular little red riding-hood, isn't she?" whispered Hugh, to his
brother, after taking a survey of the prim, little black-eyed miss before
him. Then looking sour and angry, he added, "But why does Jessie take the
beggar's brat out with her?"

"Hugh! Hugh! Don't talk in that way," replied Guy, putting his hand
playfully over his brother's mouth.

"Get out!" cried Hugh, pushing his brother's hand away and walking off in
high dudgeon, in search of Walter, who, for some reason, had not come with
his sister. His foolish pride had kindled anger in his breast.

Madge, with the usual quickness of girls of her age, had caught enough of
Hugh's words, and of the meaning of his act, to perceive that he was
disposed to treat her with scorn. A cloud flitted across her brow, and her
eyes flashed. It was clear that the proud, thoughtless boy had wounded her
feelings.

"Hugh! Hugh! Don't carry off my skates!" shouted Jessie, as her brother
turned into the main road, from the lawn.

Whirling the skates over the fence, he kept on without a word. The skates,
fortunately, fell on a heap of dry leaves and were picked up uninjured by
Guy, who, with the three girls, soon found the way to some hollows, in the
pasture, near the brook. These hollows, filled with shallow pools of
water, now solidly frozen, were excellent places for young misses to slide
and skate