rink of hot milk."

"All right," said Mopsy, cheerfully, "I don't mind; and, while we're
about it, we may as well dress for afternoon."

The programme was carried out as arranged, and not very long after two
spick-and-span little girls were sitting by the library fire, sipping
hot milk with nutmeg in it.

"Well, upon my word!" said Mr. Maynard, coming in with King and Kitty.
"I must have been mistaken! Only a short time ago I saw two children
floundering in the lake, and I thought--I truly did--that they were
Midge and Molly! How could I have made such a foolish mistake?"

"It was strange, indeed!" said Molly, with twinkling eyes. "Have you
been skating, Mr. Maynard?"

"Part of the time. But the rest of the time I was organizing and
assisting a rescue party to save those foolish children I was just
telling you of."

"We were foolish!" cried Marjorie, jumping up and running to her
father's arms. "I'll never do it again, Daddy, dear."

"Indeed you won't, my lady. I hereby issue a mandamus, a fiat, a
writ,--and if you don't know what those things are, I'll say a plain
every-day rule that is not to be broken,--that you are never to play
'Snap the Whip' again. This is a rule for Marjorie, and to you, Molly,
it's a piece of advice."

"I'll take it," said Molly, so meekly that Mr. Maynard smiled, and said:

"Now that incident is closed, and we needn't mention it again. I don't
believe you'll even take cold from your sudden plunge, for you both ran
home like killdeer. And, by the way, who won the prize?"

"We came in almost exactly together," said Marjorie. "I was a little bit
ahead at the door, but Molly was first at the gate, so isn't that even?"

"It surely is, and so you must both have prizes. I haven't them with me
at the moment, but I'll engage to supply them before Molly goes home."

Thanksgiving evening was given over to games and quiet frolics.

Mrs. Maynard said the children had had enough excitement for one day,
and they must play only sitting-still games, and then go to bed early.
So Mr. Maynard proposed a game in which all could join, and when it was
finished it would be bedtime for young people.

He produced a large spool, through which had been run a number of
different colored and very narrow ribbons. Mr. Maynard held the spool,
with the short ends of the ribbons hanging out toward himself, while the
long ends of the ribbons, which reached across the room were apportioned
one to each child.

Th