went on up to the nursery while the captain entered the
parlor where his little girls were waiting for his coming.

"Waiting patiently, my darlings?" he said, with an affectionate smile.
"I know it is rather hard sometimes for little folks to wait. But you
may bundle up now, and I will take you out to enjoy the sport with the
rest. It will be a nice walk for you, Gracie, and when you get there you
will have a pleasant time I think."

"How papa?"

"My little girl will see when she gets there," he said. "Ah, here is
Agnes with your hood and coat. Now, while she puts them on you, I will
see if Lulu's skates are quite right."

They proved to be a good fit and in few minutes the captain was on his
way to the lakelet with a little girl clinging to each hand.

A pretty boat house stood at the water's edge--on the hither side, under
the trees, and now close beside it, on the ice, the children spied a
small, light sleigh well supplied with robes of wolf and bear skins.

"There, Gracie, how would you like to ride in that?" asked her father.

"It looks nice, but--how can it go?" she asked dubiously. "I don't see
any horses papa."

"No, but you will find that it can move without."

Harold had seen them approaching, and now came gliding very rapidly
towards them, on his skates.

"Ah Gracie, are you ready for your ride?" he asked, "Rosie Lacey and one
or two of the other little ones are going to share it with you. Captain
will you lift her in while I summon them?"

"Here we are, Cousin Harold," called a childish voice, and Rose Lacey
came running up almost out of breath with haste and excitement, two
other little girl cousins following at her heels; "here we are. Can you
take us now?"

"Yes," he said, "I was just about to call you."

In another minute the four were in the sleigh with the robes well
tucked around them. Then, Harold, taking hold of the back of the
vehicle, gave it a vigorous shove away from the shore, and keeping a
tight grip on it, propelled it quite rapidly around the lake.

It required a good deal of exertion, but Herbert and others came to his
assistance and the sleigh made the circuit many times, its young
occupants laughing, chatting and singing right merrily: the gayest of
the gay.

Meanwhile the others enjoyed the skating, perhaps quite as much. The
older ladies and the two old gentlemen seemed to have renewed their
youth, and kept up the sport a good deal longer than they had intended
in th