s they reached the top, Molly's slipper bag somehow got away from
her and went sliding to the bottom. Suddenly both girls began to laugh.
They laughed until the echoes rang, and Molly, losing her grasp on a
bush, went sliding after the bag.

"Oh," laughed Judith, "oh, Molly, I shall----" and then the twigs she
had been clutching pulled out of the ice and down she went on top of
Molly.

The two girls sat up and looked at each other. They felt warmer and
happier from the laugh.

"Judith," exclaimed Molly, suddenly, "I could never laugh with any one
like that and not be friends. It's almost like accepting hospitality.
Shall we be friends again?"

"Oh, yes," replied Judith eagerly. "I am sorry I was rude to-night about
the coffee, Molly. You know it's my terrible temper. Once it gets a
start, I can't seem to hold it in, and I've had a great deal to try me
lately. I apologize to you now. Will you accept my apology?"

"Yes, indeed," Molly assured her. "Come along, let's try again. Once we
get to the top of this little 'dis-incline,' as an old colored man at
home would call it, we'll be on the links."

The girls both reached the summit at the same moment, and as they
scanned the white expanse before them, they exclaimed in frightened
whispers:

"There comes a man."

Instantly they slid back to the bottom again and lay in a heap, gasping
and giggling.

"Where shall we go? What shall we do?" exclaimed Judith.

"Nothing," answered Molly. "We can hardly crawl, much less run, but I
suppose he can't either, so perhaps we are as safe here as anywhere."

"But what man except a burglar could be prowling around Wellington at
this hour?" whispered Judith.

"I can't think of anyone, but I should think no sensible burglar would
come out a night like this. Besides, do burglars ever come to
Wellington?"

"Once there was one, only he wasn't a real burglar. He was a lunatic who
had escaped from an asylum near Exmoor."

"Oh, heavens, Judith, a lunatic? I'd rather meet ten burglars. After
all, only a lunatic would come out on such a night. Can't we run?"

Molly had a fear of crazy people that she had never been able to
conquer.

They rose unsteadily on their frozen feet and began hurrying back in the
direction of the trolley embankment. As they ran, they heard a long,
sliding, scraping sound. Evidently the man had slid down the little
hill. They could hear the sound of his footsteps on the ice. He was
running after them. At