, and ran into a corner, where Aloys sat moodily watching the sport.
Taking his hand, she said,--

"Come, Aloys, you must dance."

"Let me alone: you know I can't dance. You only want to make game of
me."

"You g----" said Mary Ann: she would have said, "you gawk," but
suddenly checked herself on seeing that he was more ready to cry than
to laugh. So she said, gently, "No, indeed, I don't want to make game
of you. Come; if you can't dance you must learn it: there is none I
like to dance with better than you."

They tried to waltz; but Aloys threw his feet about as if he had wooden
shoes on them, so that the others could not sing for laughing.

"I will teach you when nobody is by, Aloys," said Mary Ann, soothingly.

The girls now lighted their lanterns and went home. Aloys insisted on
going with them: he would not for all the world have let Mary Ann go
home without him when George was of the company.

In the still, snowy night, the raillery and laughter of the party were
heard from end to end of the village. Mary Ann alone was silent, and
evidently kept out of George's way.

When the boys had left all the girls at their homes, George said to
Aloys, "Gawk, you ought to have stayed with Mary Ann to-night."

"You're a rascal," said Aloys, quickly, and ran away. The others
laughed. George went home alone, warbling so loud and clear that he
must have gladdened the hearts of all who were not sick or asleep.

Next morning, as Mary Ann was milking the cows, Aloys said to her, "Do
you see, I should just like to poison that George; and if you are a
good girl you must wish him dead ten times over."

Mary Ann agreed with him, but tried to convince him that he should
endeavor to become just as smart and ready as George was. A bright idea
suddenly struck Aloys. He laughed aloud, threw aside the stiff old
broom and took a more limber one, saying, "Yes: look sharp and you'll
see something." After much reluctance, he yielded to Mary Ann's
solicitations to be "good friends" with George: he could not refuse her
any thing.

It was for this reason alone that Aloys had helped George to get the
sleigh out, and that the snow made his eyes run over as he watched the
party till they disappeared.

In the twilight Aloys drove his cows to water at Jacob's well. A knot
of boys had collected there, including George and his old friend, a
Jew, commonly called "Long Hartz's Jake." Mary Ann was looking out of
the window. Aloys was imitatin