as
disclosed later that he intended to study forestry because he loved the
country and the open air, and spent all his vacations camping out and
taking long walking trips. But there was nothing of the gypsy in him. He
was full of energy and ambition and infused such a wholesome vigor into
whatever he did that the young people felt a new enthusiasm in his
presence.

"I propose to celebrate the return of the real Tom Gray," announced Mrs.
Gray, "by sending my boys and girls off on a sleighing party this
afternoon. The big old sleigh holds exactly eight. Reddy, you may drive,
since the roads are so familiar to you. You must all be back at six
o'clock, for, remember, to-night we decorate the Christmas tree and
every girl freshman in Oakdale High School must have a present on it."

Just after lunch, therefore, after a hard morning's work over Mrs.
Gray's "surprise," the young people bundled into the big side-seated
sleigh, and tucked the buffalo robes tightly around them. The horses
snorted in the crisp, dry air; there was a jingle of merry sleigh bells
as off they started down the street toward the open country.

Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way.
Oh, what fun 'tis to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh.

they sang as they bowled over the well-beaten track; and Tom Gray
breathed a sigh of pure delight.

"Isn't this great!" he exclaimed. "Wouldn't you rather do this than
write an essay or study Latin prose composition?"

"Next to riding in an airship and skating, it's the finest thing I know
of," answered David.

"Have you ever ridden in an airship?" demanded Tom.

"No, but I intend to," replied the other; for David had never for a
moment relinquished his pet scheme, but worked on his experiments
whenever he had a spare moment; little dreaming that one day he was to
become the talk of the town.

As the sleigh passed the Nesbit house, Miriam and some of her friends
were just entering her front gate. She saw the party and a shadow of
black jealousy darkened her face.

"Why don't we do the same thing?" she exclaimed aloud, and in another
twenty minutes she had bundled her own guests into the Nesbit sleigh,
while she herself took the reins and guided the pair of spirited black
horses.

"Miriam, I do wish you would let one of the boys drive," said her
mother, who had come to the door to see her off.

"I prefer to do the driving, mother," replied the spoiled girl, and with
a crack of the