tomed boat
dashed into the water with a tremendous splash, leaped four or five feet
into the air, and a drenching shower of spray covered his Majesty on the
front seat. As the boat approached the opposite shore the Czarovitch
turned to the Indian who was steering, grinned, and put out his hand;
the Indian grinned wickedly, and something slipped into his fingers.
There had been a similar bit of pantomime before the boat started, and
as skilful guides can take their boats through the exciting trips
without wetting their passengers, it is supposed that the young
Czarovitch played a little joke on his royal uncle. The Prince of Wales
came down in another boat, and they all liked it so much that they all
went back and tried it again."

So popular has the pastime been at the chute near New York that over
30,000 persons have frequently "shot the chute" in a day.

OAKLEIGH.[1]

BY ELLEN DOUGLAS DELAND.

CHAPTER XI.

Christmas morning dawned cloudy and very cold, but it had stopped
snowing, and after a while the sun came out and turned the country into
a radiant, dazzling spectacle.

The Franklins were to have a party during the holidays, and it had been
planned for the following Tuesday--New-Year's eve.

"If we had only arranged to have it earlier we might have escaped that
horrid Branson," said Cynthia, regretfully, the day after Christmas.
"Now, of course, he will come with the Morgans, and, worse still, we
shall have to be polite to him in our own house."

"I should hope so," said Edith. "You were rude enough to him at the
picnic, and I do think good manners are so attractive. I am going to
cultivate them as much as possible. No one will ever like you unless you
are polite, Cynthia."

"I seem to have plenty of friends," returned her sister, composedly,
"and I don't really care to have Bronson like me. In fact, I would
rather prefer that he shouldn't. I wouldn't consider it much of a
compliment to be liked by a--a--_creature_ like that!"

It would be impossible to convey an idea of the contempt in Cynthia's
voice as she said this.

"And if you are going to have such lovely manners, I should think it
would be just as well to begin at home," she added.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I don't suppose you will like it, but really, Edith, sometimes it
does seem as if you just tried to hurt mamma's feelings. I know I ought
not to say this, perhaps, for you think I am only a younger sister, I
suppose, and have