Nan Sherwood's Winter Holidays; Or, Rescuing the Runaways

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y from the opposite, wooded hill. That hill was the Isle of Hope, a small island of

me. Winter had for some weeks held this part of Michigan in an iron gri

th, well-scraped skating pond. Between the foot of the hill, on the brow of which the professor stood, and the Isle of Hope, th

ctural drawing-put the key-bugle to his lips a

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it could be seen from the brow of Pendragon Hill. But the roof and ch

ging like a chime of silver bells, as the owners came along the we

ld of the girls' arrival to a boy who was toiling up the edge of the packed and icy slide. Walter Mason had

t of the leading group of girls, as the boy re

smiling, and her brown eyes dancing. She looked so much lik

ter called to his s

s in the lead of the four tugging at the rope of the gaily painted bobsled. This particular girl'

ter!" sh

!" was h

who toiled along beside her chum, said with a flashing s

saw you whispering together the other day when Walter came with his cutter to take Gra

cidly. "And I wouldn't go wit

ou, Nan? Not ev

d Nan Sherwood, big-e

hear of such an escapade, I gues

pretending to be angry, "I won't tel

and W

r and

always having something on the side

stmas is coming and everybody

ping pull on the rope directly behind the chums. "I'm walkin

Bess flared back. "Do

da Riggs and her crowd right on top of us. They're so

bobsled, who was a big, good-natured looking girl with a mouthful of big white

gs and her friends down fir

said Bess Har

em all. We can go firs

nne

responded the professo

see that it

girls from the Hall, dragging bobsleds, were appearing now. They were all the bigger girls of the school, for th

o indulge in coasting or sleighing or skating or any other sport, unattended. Professor Krenner had general oversight of t

atch. "Three minutes apart remember, young ladies," he

"Grace won't slide if I don't, although N

with assurance. "We don't need

drily. "Wait a bit, Miss Riggs!" he added sharply. "First come, f

ed the tall girl, richly dressed in furs, who had com

d purse-proud girl no more beloved by her mates. But she could always gather about her a few satellites-girls who f

as a very exclusive school. Its course of instruction prepared the girls for college, or gave them a "finis

ot on directly behind him and took hold of his belt. Behind her Nan, Bess, little, fair-haired Lillie Nevins, who was Grace's particular chum, and who had ridden over on the sled from the Hall, Amelia Boggs, the home

ed Walter, firmly

cried Laura,

ody else a chance!

haired girl's heels struck into the hard snow to start the creaking runners,

slipped over the brow of the descent and

ed from the group at the top. They could hear only the delighted screams of the girls until, with a loud ring of

. By that time Professor Krenner had started the second one, and t

ive us a chance," she complained. "That thing of th

off the first sled upon the ice w

ura. "I left my breath

What

ging too high!" burst o

e straps. Before getting up off the sled the chums put these on and th

Bess cried. "All you la

ded Nan. "Here com

appeared the "Linda Riggs' crew," as Laura called them, and their shiny, new sled. Out of the enveloping grove which masked the si

imed Walter, with admiration.

ly. "See, they're not going

out that," murmu

k and try it again. I know those horr

"good-bye" after them. He was going to put on his own skates and skate up the strait to the Mas

e ice upon the Sky-rocket. Linda's sled, the Gay Girl, did go farther than the first

s world to let them crow

edge of the ice and all six laid hold of the

em, the girls screaming and lau

re supper time," Laura Polk said. Mrs. Glea

r on our sled

chorused

was hauled into position again. This time Nan steered, with firmly braced feet, her

he girls themselves. Then he blew the warning blast to tel

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ng away when suddenly there sounded a chorus of screams, evidently from the Sky-rocket crew. Following