s. The linden on the Fletcher lawn was coated with fairy lace work,
and the denuded lilac bush across the way shone black through its glassy
covering. The long expanse of dark, cement walk which flanked each side
of the snowy road was coated with ice and made walking for pedestrians a
matter of some danger. As he jerked his tie into position, Perry Alford
shot past on his skates, and he hurried down to breakfast. He'd have a
little of that sport before school, himself.

But as he rose joyously from the table, he stopped short. There was that
report card; and he knew that his plans were shattered. Mrs. Fletcher's
remarks upon his many deficiencies would consume every minute of the
time before school.

"My report," he said briefly. She looked at it.

"John!"

He gazed out of the window in a forlorn effort to appear unconcerned.

"Reading, 'F'," quoted Mrs. Fletcher, "and last month it was 'G'."

He drew out his watch and set the big hand forward ten minutes. If he
used a little strategy, he could at least shorten the lecture by that
amount of time.

"Arithmetic, 'P'," she went on. "And geography, 'P'. And you told me you
had all your lessons done when I gave you permission to go skating those
evenings. I'm very much displeased with you."

He grew desperate. When Mrs. Fletcher began to talk about being
displeased and grieved, there was trouble ahead. He drew a much-chewed
pencil from his coat pocket and handed it to her.

"Hurry and sign, Mother," he begged. "It's school time."

She scribbled a reluctant signature at the bottom and looked at it
thoughtfully. "I'll keep this to show to your father this evening."

"I've had it three days already," he blurted. "It's got to go back
today."

He snatched the card from her hand, showed his watch as she protested,
and fled for his coat. Once at the corner, he stopped running and
smiled. The escape had been fairly easy and with a minimum of fuss, and
he was immeasurably light-hearted, now that the report card bugaboo was
off his mind.

At Southern Avenue, he caught up with Sid, Silvey, and Perry Alford.
Bits of ice dropped from the trees to the walk as they sauntered along,
and water dripped from the icicles on the eaves of the apartments and
stores as the morning rise in temperature began to take effect.

"Feel's as if it's going to thaw," said Silvey as they came to a very
slippery stretch of walk. So the quartette slid up and down on the ice
as long after the se