The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1899-01-26

didn't know how TO help II at all.
She knew how the boys could ''run
her into the wind" when they wanted
20 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 OF.
She dared not try it.
II she could tie up the sails-but she
did not venture TO get to her feet; she
was afraid the wind would take her
OF 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 flew fast
and faster. II whizzed. Not for a
| minute did Edna confess to herself
that her courage was oozing; 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
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 a sort
of screech. It was dreadful.
What was that zigzag dark line
ahead? A crack. Not a big one. Not
so big. she thought, but that the boat
would slide over tt.
There was a sudden crash, lurch.
Edna felt her hand jerked from the
rudder, the breath jerked from her
body, and for bewilderd moment
she half believed her head had been
jerked off her shoulders. She felt her
self thrown with a mighty strength,
which carried her along the ice at
swift speed for several rods
She had a-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 a run-Gilbert and Sgd.
She got to her feet in a hurry. A
long way of lay the ice boat, with
I her bowsprit stuck fax. 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 1t, and rubbing her bruised
elbow. when the boys came racing and
etriding across the ice. But she was
ready for them; she stood up straight
II don't think It's brokenl" she
called out.
"Are you broken ?" Sgd shouted back
"that's the question:" And they be-
gan to talk together.
1--WE saw you" said Gilbert.
1--WE knew II must be you," said Sgd
"though we couldn't believe It,"
"That crack! Goodness. why didnt
you stop her? You went sliding of he1
, 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?" sale
Sgd. where were you trying to get
!. , to. anyhow"
.. ITO the Corletts'." said Edna, will
lifted chin. ~ was invited, but yor
went off without me. and thought II
go, anyhow, and get there ahead o.
you"
"Bu, you didn't. quite" syt
> chhcklcd.
"There. let her be-" said Gilbert
"She's got a lot of nerve, anyhow
hasn't she, though? She's all right
e say!"
:, Edna's lip began TO tremble. Tha'
speech gratifed her. and touched he,
heart. II was real mad because 20,
: went of without me-" she faltered.
3 Gilbert and sgd looked at each other
e They dug their toes into the ice. "Shal
= we tell her?" said Gilbert.
= "Might as well," sgd responded
~Say, see here. Edna" He crossed hi
2 thumbs. "You know how bad youv
y wanted to know what that meant
. Well. we couldn't tell you, because IT,
b about you."
t "It's a surprise party" said Gilbert
v "or it was. Next Thursday night
8 That's why we wanted to 60 to Jo
I Corlett's without you We were 70
i ing to get Joe and the three of us wer
t going around to invite the girls an,
e boys. We'd have gone down on the ic
e boat ourselves, but we were going owe
e VII 'the hoi'H ioaG ~ invite tHc Hiosous
# and coming home around that way
# We weren't going to breathe word t
you about it. We hadn't even told moth
o er, not yet"
q "It's what we've been doing so muc
l. whispering about lately" said Sgd.
4 "For me-" said Edna, slowly. g.
surprise party!" She grew red; he
eyes filled. "Oh, dear! I've been aw
=, fully mean. I've been real hateful an
y horrid. Oh, dear me, SUI! 1t woul
= have served me right if rd-well, T.
;. just ought to have broken an arm, @
:, something!"
= "No, you hadn't" said Gilbert. 81
- was real spunky of you to do it, Edna.
!, 1.-Two or three lessons, and you'll b
u dabster with an ice boat" said Syd.