Saint Mary's beacon., 1904-07-28
(Writtes for he Beaeoa.)
Her Hero.
BY ALB1sA.

The Bay il beautiful. the ice as
slippery as glass and cleaning like
crystal in the cold rays Of the win
try sun. All around is serene and
calm. Hark ! the calm is broken.
In the distance comes the sound ol
bells, growing louder and almost
deafening as the teams draw near,
the party laughing and cheering as
sleigh after sleigh pass each other
in quick succession. A black team
is the first. and q shout for the vie
torious pair rend the chilly air.
Quickly springing from the sleigh
and securing the horses the skaters
glide out upon the ice. What fun |
and how the sun flashes and glitters
on the steel-clad feet. A few mo-
ments later and another party dash
up, and in their midst are the Bel
graves, Misses Juliette, Nellie, their
brother Roy and their two visitors.
Miss Angel Telman and Mr.. Eric
lansing.
They are seated in q double sleigh,
to which are a pair of the
most magnificent roans imaginable.
The horses are warm and impatient
of the halt. Roy has his hands full
in managing them, and while Erie
assists the ladies to alight, they
dance and prance, causing every in
dividual bell to jingle.
Hurry up and tie the horses,
Roy" calls Angel in sweet audacious
tones. II want to get on the bay.
Make haste"
May put your skates on for you
now, Miss Nelly 2" asked Eric.
That dainty lady smiled her as
sent. and kneeling at her pretty feet
he soon had them properly clasped
for the occasion.
We'll, are we to skate in a line or
how ?" asked Roy, coming up just
then and giancing quizically at his
elder sister.
mo. of course not, answered An
gel, that is not a nice way at all.
You are to skate with me, you know,
Nellie with Eric. and oh forgo.
Juliette.
WELL. with a malicious little
glance in that secretly amused young
lady's direction, 81 can Z help il il
she does not make lovers and escorts
in her near neighborhood."
"Juliette shall skate with us,
cried Roy and Nellie in the same
breath, while Eric cast rather a
scornful look upon the selfish little
Angel.
oh never mind me, said that
highly offended parsonage, tossing
back the auburn curls from her fair
brow and forcing as much indiGer-
ence into the sweet tones as possi-
BILE, which we feel compelled to say
was utterly belied by the dancing,
mischievous light in her dark eyes,
never mind me. | would not skate
with such selfish people for the world:
no indeed, Pas Roy held out his hand
to her. Il am going out on the bay
and find my escort, a grand, hand
some, rich, heroic escort, and If you
think you will ever see me again
any of you why you are just max
ing a grand mistake, because when
/ find him l am going 10 skate right
away to- don t know where. Good.
by"
This created burst of mirth, and
throwing her skatesacross her shoul-
ders Juliette marched with great
dignity out upon the ice, where she
was instantly surrounded by q crowd
OF gentlemen who had just learned
of her arrival. She refused all Of
fers Of assistance, however, and in
no little danger of being knocked
down and trampled under foot, at
last reached her destination, a love-
ly little pond formed by a point Of
land which jutted far out into the
water almost concealed it from the
lower part of the bay, where most
of the skating was done.
This was Juliette's favorite re-
treat, and many q cunning trick had
she learned there, so putting on her
skates she glided easily and grace
fully over the smooth surface, laugh
ing aloud several times in the very
access Of spirits.
However, this did not last long.
Juliette was an unequalled skater in
both speed and gracefulness. The
ice could not be in finer form and
she burned to try her strength. A
race, a race, and victory over all
that crowd, or at least over those