News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-11-27

Eugene Valcour asked, in surprise.
"No; but have always wanted to.
should think it would be perfectly dt
ightful."
cit is" Valcour answered. eve hav
a boat, Miss Markham. If you
'Ice-boating is very dangerou
sport" Alan Douglas observed, senter
tiousIy. "You may dive into an all
hole, or capsize at any moment"
80 they say" Valcour answere
carelessly; "but I've been out on tn
river scores of times, and have neve
met with single accident. It's all. il
The management of the boat. I woul,
not be afraid to take half dozen @
people in the Victorine.
THAT a mGu has escaped a hundret
times is no indemnity against possibl
accidents" Douglas said tersely. &c
wouldn't care to take anyone with me il
the Victorine-certainly not lady,"
"Oh, wouldn't be a bit afraid +
Stella cried. ''Major Valcour, do taxi
me 1 am dying to gor'
81 am perfectly willing to take you,
he said laughingly; "only you mus
promise me immunity from prosecution
in case anything dreadful happens t.
you"
Alan Douglass face was overspreaG
with sudden pallor.
''Major Valcour," he said sternly, 81
hope you have no serious intention oi
doing anything so foolhardy."
The color rushed to Valcour's face,
and his eyes emitted an angry spark.
81 am at Miss Markham's service, F."
he said shortly. 81 shall take her if she
wishes to CO."
Certainly 1 do /" Stella cried. eff
there is any real danger, it will only add
zest to my enjoyment. would like it
above all things - wouldn't you,
Nora? ?"
mo, thanks p her cousin answered
neryously. 81 would rather be ex-
cused."
"What are you afraid, too?" Stella
exclaimed, with an accent that brought
a reseutful flush to Alan's face.
She might as well have called him a
coward.
whether we are afraid or not, Miss
Markham" he said with quick, cutting
emphasis, 81 feel it my duty to inform
you that ice-boating is not a suitable
sport for lady. In the first place, the
boats are mere skeletons, and the only
way to accommodate oneself to them is
to lie down flat in the stern. There are
no seats, no cushions, nothing-in fact,
there are only the barest ribs of timber
to hold ON. No lady can ride in one
without real discomfort, and-not a lit
tie discredit to herself
"What do you mean to insinuate, sir ?"
Valcour exclaimed angrily.
Il iust2uate nOthiuS, Douglas ro~
piled cody. 81 state the case without
equivocation.
Then he turned to tho coachman and
said in low tone:
''Stop here, pleaseI Ladies, I am
obliged to leave you. Good morning,
Major Valcour p
"Drive on p Valcour cried as he NUT
tered something under his breath.
Alan Douglas had leaped lightly out
of the sleigh and, lifting his hat, began
to retrace the road back to Montreal.
{ "Well, of all the pretty exhibits ever
did seel'' Stella exclaimed with q look
of scorn. +.
"He was afraid we'd ask him to join
u.s." whispered yalcour. "He needn't
have disturbed himself.
''The idea of man of his age being
SO superlatively cautious r' Stella added
derisively. 81 call that downright cow
ardice."
Valcour was, of course, not ill pleased
to find his rival in di6grace; but Nora
looked back at the retreating figure of
Alan Douglas with different feeling.
"You will take me, won't you, Major
Valcour Stella asked coquettishly.
To which Valcour, of course, replied
that he would take her anywhere she
wished to go.
"We might go this afternoon" he
said refectiVely; "the ice looks pretty
sound, and there's fine breeze blow
ing"
eyes, yes do let us go this after
noon p Stella urged eagerly,
And so it was arranged.
The Victorine. splendid little ice
yacht lay just off the landing. Valcour
had provided cushions and robes for
her, but Stella was somewhat surprised
to learn that Alan Douglas had come
pretty near the truth.
They had met him on their way down
to the river, but he passed on with the
slightest of formal salutes.
els there no one else going with us ?"
Stella asked in surprise, as Eugene Val
cour tucked the robes about her, and
seated himself in half-reclining posture
at her side.
"No," he answered with smile. 'I
can manage the boat myself, and the
Yictorine Is so small there is hardly
room for more. Besides" he added in
a lower and more tender tone, "would
rot another person be de trop9 You
are not afraid to trust yourself with
me?"
"Oh, no r' Stella answered with
heightened color.
Then the sails caught the wind as it
went whistling by, and away they sped
over the smooth, glittering surface of
the ice.
Lying in the stern of the boat, Stella
looked up at the clear blue sky, and out
at the snow-clad mountains which
skirted their path on either side.
Every object she fixed her eyes upon
to vanish as if by magic. The
boat seemed to skim through the air.
Even the express train which came
bowling along on the east bank of the
river was left far in the rear.
The wind futtered SteIla's hair, and
famed the color in her cheeks into a
bright flame; her eyes sparkled with en-
joyment, and laughter fairly bubbled to
her lips.
"Isn't this perfectly splendid ?" she
cried for the sixth or seventh time, as
the Victorine circled and tackled in a
lively breeze.
''There is another boat making this
way" Valcour observed. cit must be
poor saiIer. With only one man in it, it
ought to have passed US long ago."
Stella watched it for awhile, and then