Polly's First Year at Boarding School

eyes and the disgusted expression of her

round and round in dizzy circles. A white boy's sweater enveloped her slender body and accent

udless front, the sun was shining with determined cheerfulness over the snow-covered grounds, and the

pter, that the rain would fr

over, and the rest of the glorious day was free,

group of girls on the ice, separated thems

t, why aren't you skat

he tree, broke it up into little pieces

round and round and round again on this silly pond, stumblin

ois exchang

eevish; what side of the bed did

of this. Why can't we skate on t

h girls together, found a chaperone

be wonderful!" Polly ex

oked a little more cheerful

o?" she demanded, n

a and

t skate we

nd, let's

right,

t want t

bout L

Flore

e, if the

makes

that

or cha

s St

's s

King

full, she would

s Po

rk with the other tea

ot, who

Spa

ner get to the river than her feet would be cold, or her nose or h

a nice little fire and make her quite comfy o

articular, she's our onl

ing, Betty finally consented, and th

and Connie coastin

you two," Bett

ff the track into a snow

asked Connie; "isn't

s better," said Lois, "

te," sai

y be

o the girls who don't know how to skate as well as she does; she says they're in her way. Well, there's nothing for her but to walk it off. We thought a select,

I don't have to be end man," answered Connie, thinking of

" laughed Angela. "And because I'm ti

ey'll want some of the other Seniors; we had to have som

u got pe

t y

ing to ch

Spa

re jo

are

ut

the rest of the faculty

to as

the question, and Lois p

ou

ev

u m

t w

who has recited intelligentl

astonishment ting

victim. Oh, very well, I'll do it," she ended stoica

ell her we want her very much, and don't let

make

and I are going to as

ike

nterrupted her, catching Polly's

to Connie, who she insisted had

her shoulder as she parted from the rest under the

arn if the permission were granted before venturing

d Florence in the la

care to include any of the other Seniors, and stopped work to go up to Lois' room an

e take a couple of the older girls, and I told her we were going to ask Louise and Florence. She said that was

hat Miss Hale was the only available teacher, that Mrs. Baird, who und

ngela and Connie

unced in unison, "says sh

new

s too

t another t

'll w

I think I can fix it, I'll go talk to h

ersation, and in less than fifteen minutes Louis

l sh

did sh

us the

d you f

ingers in her

ell you," she said. "Miss Hale i

N

all

a dar

t a

vercome with sur

whole sentence witho

wonder, how did yo

think of any one else. She suggested going herself and of cou

kate?" inqu

didn't think she would today. S

her a fire,

e wind," a

y said, not to be outdone, and t

for the utter obliteration of the Spartan were now conv

d hockey sticks. Mrs. Baird, dressed in a rough tweed walking suit, carried a

a long walk ahead of us and time

ong, but very tedious. The path was completely hidden by the snow, and an unseen

t in deep snow, and then roll, arms and legs in the air, for fiv

without mishap and too much loss of

that way, we would never reach home. We'll go through the village by way of the station. Now don't bother about me, ge

d on making her

ed the rug in a small enclosure made by a clump of bush

ird settled down comfortably and opened he

's not as smooth here as it was on the

y, and in spots the ice had melted on the river

e to ourselves," exulted Betty, looking out over the expans

o get the swing. Then they organized a hocke

led as Betty sent the flat disc sailing past Angela, thr

ast; somebody change places with me," sa

the game, Ange, come on up in the c

rig

body r

la

and there, in obedience to the clic

to interfere, and for a minute there was a wild skirmish. In the excitement, An

Ange is

anded, as she sat up and rubbed her ba

hurt yo

h, but I've

have

ill we

ip," suggested Bett

can't go f

e, you

, who's on

n the uniform of the Military School that was situated on another hill along the Hudson, about five miles north of Seddon Hall

dertone, for the boys wer

irls

Betty crossly, "why couldn't

ivals and noticed the girls' hesitat

them," she said, "and I'm

and returned

ockey again,"

he boys?" inq

any attenti

e whirled into position. But Angela's

ing," Bett

w a boy with redder hair." I

rro

ck t

errible, let's s

ght, ge

G

ons and were again ski

y, after they had played for a time. She had bee

rest and we'll crack t

g. Over the ice it flew, while the girls looked on in fascinated horror, for it was heading d

" gaspe

ost a minute there was absolute silenc

ed boy lifted his st

k you ever so much

p, completely uncovering his fiery head. Then he a

no mistake," l

the ice," Angela answered. "Wha

ty replied, straightening up. "I'm sure he's mo

her or not, so, to change the subject

k the whip," she sa

ght, ge

on th

ol

ah

ed off, skating fast and keeping straight ahead. Suddenly, when everybody was going like t

ting. They played it over and over ag

time," called Louise

etty panted, taking ho

laughed Polly.

e, and in places the ice was quite slushy. Polly raced ahead, never giving a

der their feet gave a sickening longdr

um-what followed came very much

scream and then the horrible picture of Bett

to reach her, but at every attempt

desperately for help, and the o

sefully, and took command. He sent his friends for ropes and boards, whi

he hole was small and she was wedge

he called to them: "Get the rest and form a chai

long until he could touch Betty. Very ski

mustering every bit of his strength, he pulled her gently

p in the steamer rug, and Mrs. Baird was beside her. He was the center

age, and another for a warm drink. "And," he added severely, after he had

it was in a flask-and Mrs. Ba

d and she left Betty and

to thank you. I shudder to think what we would have done without you." She pressed

though a hero, was

you get her in the carriage," he added hastily, glad of anything that would put a

aves a girl's life, surely he had the right to know

you will," Mrs.

a mummy cloth, but as they got her safely on the seat, one corner of it fell away, and revealed t

aird knelt on the floor beside Betty, the girls

n; he still held his hat in his hand, and his

ater bottles and woolly blankets, Betty opened her eyes

name?" she a

o ask him!" exclaimed Mrs. Ba

around the room, then

owly. "He'd always have been