nce were in sharp contrast to the eager excitement of a
pretty, red-cheeked girl who sat at the driver's side. She was as
sensitive to every new impression as they were dull. Her face bloomed
out of a round white hood in such charming fashion that those who
began to smile at an out-of-date equipage were interrupted by a second
and stronger instinct, and paid the homage that one must always pay to
beauty.

It was a bitter cold morning. The great sleighbells on the horse's
shaggy neck jangled along the street, and seemed to still themselves
as they came among the group of vehicles that were climbing the long
hill by the Common.

As the sleigh passed a clubhouse that stands high on the slope, a
young man who stood idly behind one of the large windows made a
hurried step forward, and his sober face relaxed into a broad,
delighted smile; then he turned quickly, and presently appearing at
the outer door, scurried down the long flight of steps to the street,
fastening the top buttons of his overcoat by the way. The old sleigh,
with its worn buffalo skin hanging unevenly over the back, was only a
short distance up the street, but its pursuer found trouble in gaining
much upon the steady gait of the white horse. He ran two or three
steps now and then, and was almost close enough to speak as he drew
near to the pavement by the State House. The pretty girl was looking
up with wonder and delight, but in another moment they went briskly
on, and it was not until a long pause had to be made at the blocked
crossing of Tremont Street that the chase was ended.

The wonders of a first visit to Boston were happily continued to Miss
Nancy Gale in the sudden appearance at her side of a handsome young
gentleman. She put out a most cordial and warm hand from her fitch
muff, and her acquaintance noticed with pleasure the white knitted
mitten that protected it from the weather. He had not yet found time
to miss the gloves left behind at the club, but the warm little mitten
was very comfortable to his fingers.

"I was just thinking--I hoped I should see you, when I was starting to
come in this morning," she said, with an eager look of pleasure; then,
growing shy after the unconscious joy of the first moment, "Boston is
a pretty big place, isn't it?"

"We all think so," said Tom Aldis with fine candor. "It seems odd to
see you here."

"Uncle Ezra, this is Mr. Aldis that I have been telling you about, who
was down at our place so long in th