rop the few paces behind.
Suddenly an idea popped into her head. Forgetful of her own uncertain
feet, and both ignorant and reckless of any danger, she darted forward,
a small red danger signal directly in front of Mr. Sanders as he came
opposite. The annoyed racer swerved quickly to the right, but poor Jane
once started could not stop, and would have fallen a scarlet heap in
Dick Harding's path had not Pat, divining her intention, followed
swiftly and grabbing her by the shoulder steered her in a sharp curve
out of the way. She got a good scolding from both Frank and Marian when
Pat brought her back to them.

"You might have been hurt--you almost spoiled the race--don't you ever
do anything so foolhardy again, Jane." This from Marian.

Frank was still more severe. "I'm ashamed of you, Sis. Did you suppose
Dick Harding would be willing to win the race by a trick--besides you
nearly tripped him. If Pat hadn't been so quick there would have been a
bad mix-up."

Chicken Little scarcely heeded at first because from the far end of the
pond a shout went up, and looking with wide eyes, she saw the dark
stranger and Mr. Harding slip over the line together--it was a tie!

Then Frank's words began to sink in. The idea that she might have hurt
or disgraced her beloved Mr. Harding frightened her much more than the
possible danger to herself. Her eyes filled with tears and though she
tried valiantly to wink them away, they soon overflowed.

Katy and Gertie eyed her curiously, and Frank and Marian though they
felt sorry for the child, felt that she needed a lesson. Ernest
returning from the finish, felt called upon to rub it in still further.

"What in the dickens were you trying to do, Jane Morton, were you
crazy?"

Chicken Little answered never a word, but the tears dripped faster and
an observing person would have noticed that the child was digging her
finger nails into her palms to keep back the sobs. But her family was
too disgusted with her to be either sympathetic or observing. They
scarcely noticed that she was loitering behind.

She had no definite purpose till she saw they were about to pass Dick
Harding who was the center of an admiring group. This was more than she
could stand, and dropping a little farther behind, she slipped into the
crowd and started off in the opposite direction. No one missed her for a
time as they all stopped to congratulate Dick. It was not until he
inquired what the child had been trying