ose against the cold pane ruefully.

"You may go and play with Katy and Gertie for an hour if you wish."

But Jane didn't wish. She was a child of one idea and her head was
filled with visions of Cedar Pond and its crowd of gay skaters. She
could fairly see the boys gliding away across the glistening surface or
cutting fancy figures they loved to boast of. She knew some of the girls
at school skated. She had listened to glowing tales of the sport at
recess the day before.

She peered out the window, an ugly little pucker creasing her forehead.
Marian, coming in a few minutes later, found her glooming there still.

"What a long face, little sister, what's the matter? Have you broken
your Xmas dolly or lost that new bracelet or what?"

"Oh, Marian, did you ever skate?"

"Skate?--I should say so. Frank and I are going out this afternoon after
the bank closes."

"Oh, Marian, couldn't I go, too? Mother said I might learn if I only had
some grown up person to go with."

"But you haven't any skates, Jane."

This was a poser, but Jane moved a way out. "Maybe Grace Dart would let
me have hers. May I ask Mother?"

Marian hesitated a moment, but the child's face was very pleading and
she replied heartily:

"Come along if your mother will let you. We'll look after you--you may
as well ask Katie and Gertie, too. Katy knows how to skate a little, I
think."

Mrs. Morton's consent was soon obtained as well as Mrs. Halford's. Grace
Dart intended to use her own skates, but Mrs. Morton said Jane might as
well buy a pair, if she were really going to learn. Marian volunteered
to get them for her on the way down.

Chicken Little was gay as a robin redbreast when she ran to meet Marian
at the side gate. She was in red from top to toe, red coat, red leggings
and red hood. And she was so excited she acted like a much distracted
robin, as Marian told her a little later.

"She does enter into things so heart and soul," Marian confided to
Frank, "she fairly quivers with excitement sometimes. Katy and Gertie
are so different. They enjoy themselves just as much but they don't tire
themselves out as Chicken Little does."

"Sis is too high strung, I guess--gets it from Father's people. Funny,
too, she's a sober little puss a good deal of the time."

The new skates were soon purchased and slung over her shoulder in exact
imitation of the way she had seen the boys carry theirs. They looked
delightfully sharp and glittering. Chicken L