Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1899-01-19

didn't know how to helpit at all.
She knew how the boys could run
her into the wind" when they wanted
to stop; but in the same breath she re-
membered how once, in turning. the
wind had lifted the boat off the hind
runners and Slowed her around on the
fore runners, and how narrowly they
had escaped being swept clean off,
She dared not try it.
did not venture to get to her feet; she
was afraid the wind would take her
off them. And the fact was that she
did not know what to do TO the sails,
anyhow, She did not understand them.
And meanwhile the ice boat few fast
and faster. It whzzed. Not for q
minute did Edna confess to herself
that her courage was oozng; but she
Looked ahead, down the white stretch
of ice, and her heart beat with great
jumps, What If she couldn't stop at
all? In that case, first or last, she
should smash into something-and
| then.
She wished she had not touched the
boat; she might have known she
couldn't do it. The wind seemed to
roar in her ears; the runners. in their
increased speed, had taken on sort
of screech 1t was dreadful.
What was that zigzag dark line
ahead? A crack, Not big one. Not
so big, she thought, but that the boat
would slide over it..
There was a sudden crash, lurch.
Edna felt her hand jerked from tho
rudder, the breath jerked from her
body, and for a bewilderd moment
she half believed her head had been
jerked off her shoulders. She felt her
self thrown with mighty strength,
which carried her along the ice at
swift speed for several rods.
She had confused fear that she
should never stop; but at last she did,
and she slowly sat up. Her first con-
viction was that all her bones were
broken; her next, that certainly the
side of her on which she had slidden
was sore, And her third, that down
the distant bank were two figures COM
ing on run-Gilbert and Sgd.
She got to her feet in hurry. Al
long way off lay the ice boat, with
her bowsprit stuck fast where It had
struck in the jagged edge of the crack;
it being crack of no mean size. And
Edna was still standing there and
staring at it, and rubbing her bruised
elbow, when the boys came racing and
striding across the ice. But she was
ready for them; she stood up straight,
ct don't think it's broken!" she
called out.
"Are you broken?" sgd shouted back,
"that's the question: And they be-
gan to talk together.
eve saw you" said Gilbert.
eve knew it must be YOU" said Sgd,
though we couldn't believe It,"
"That crack! Goodness, why didn't
you stop her? You went sliding off her
and over the ice like bird! Are you
hurt? No? Sure?"
"Sure!" said Edna, and then they
all burst out laughing.
"Say, what did you do 1t for?" said
Sgd. "Where were you trying to get
to, anyhow"
''To the Corletts'," said Edna, with
lifted chin. 81 was invited, but you
went off without me, and l thought I'd
go, anyhow, and get there ahead Of
YOU
"But you didn't, quite" sgd
chuckled.
'There, let her be-" said Gilbert.
"she's got a lot of nerve, anyhow,
hasn't she, though? She's all right,
I say"
Edna's lip began to tremble, That
speech gratifed her, and touched her
heart. 81 was real mad because you
went off without me" she faltered.
Gilbert and sgd looked at each other.
They dug their toes into the ice. "ShalE
we tell her?" said Gilbert.
"Might as WELL" sgd responded.
"Say, see here, Edna" He crossed his
thumbs, "You know how bad you've
wanted to know what that meant2
Well, we couldn't tell you, because it's
about you"
TITS surprise party" said Gilbert,
cor it was Next Thursday night.
That's why we wanted to go to Joe
Corlett's without you. We were go
ing to get Joe and the three of us were
going around to invite the girls and
boys. We'd have gone down on the ice
boat ourselves, but we were going over
on the north road to invite the Gibsons,
and coming home around that way.
We weren't going to breathe a word to-
you aboutit, We hadn't even told moth
er, not yet"
"It's what we've been doing so much
whispering about lately" said sgd.
'For me-" said Edna, slowly. "a
surprise party!" She grew red; her
eyes filled. ooh, dearl I've been aw-
fully mean. I've been real hateful and
horrid. Oh, dear me, SUI! 1t would
have served me right if dwell, I'd
just ought to have broken an arm, or
something!"
"No, you hadn't" said Gilbert. at
was real spunky of you to do it, Edna"
1.-TWO or three lessons, and you'll be
dabster with an ice boat" said Sgd
"And it's all right about the surprise
party" said Gilbert, "all but the sur
prise; We'll have it just the same.
You'll have just as much fun, anyhow.