The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1912-10-03
HER SNOW
MAN
By CLARISSA MACKE



1t was an alluring world outside the
dignified walls OF the Preble mansion
The heavily crusted snow sparkled
| like a carpet of brilliants beneath the
silver magic of the full moon. Inside
| the Preble grounds the dark tree
trunks made black splashes against
the brightness, but beyond the iron
fence there stretched rolling field oil
scintillating Wilderness. There had
| been a heavy snow fall followed by a
hard freeze All day long the school
| children had been coasting on the hill
| next door to the Preble place. Alicia S
aunt, Miss Harriet Preble, had eX-
pressed pleasure when she heard that
| the hill would be deserted that night
Emma, the cook, had announced
| that the whole town were to partici-
pate in an ice carnival on Barker's
| mill pond
I'm very glad indeed" said Miss
Harriet severely. q know | could not
sleep with that continual roar of de-
scending sleds rushing past my win
dows"
I'm rather sorry" admitted Alicia
timidly; 1T was such fun to watch
them"
my dear Alicia, | am surprised you
could find amusement in anything so
juvenile as coasting 1t is such mas
culine sport that | never was per
mitted to indulge in it,
A dimple came int5 Alicias demure
cheek vision of stiffnecked Aunt
Harriet coasting down Preble hill al
most overcame her awe of the steel
bound maiden lady who had been her
guardian since her orphaned child
hood
What are you smiling at, Alicia?
asked Miss Preble sharply
81 was wondering If any of the
Prebles had ever coasted down that
HILL" replied Alicia. her dancing eyes
fixed on her plate,
"Of course your father did when he
was lad-his sled is up In the garrett
now. It was considered very fast
one-your grandfather bought it In
New York" Miss Prebles face soft
ened wonderfully and then stiffened
as she saw the eager interested look
in her niece's eyes. THAT was all very
well for boys but I consider it ex-
ceedingly improper for females to in
dulge in such sport-and very wrong
to encourage it as you did this after
noon by waving your handkerchief
whenever those girls led in the races
down the hill | am going to bed at
once, Alicia as | have severe head
ache-no you can do nothing for me,
thank you. Be sure to go to bed at
ten o'clock"
Good night, Aunt Harriet wish |
could do something to help your poor
head" said Alicia as she returned the
cold pecking kiss of her only relative
with pressure of warm young lips.
Miss Preble had retired to her room,
and if she had been any one but a
Preble of Little River one might have
said that she snored.
Alicia was standing there by the
library window looking out into that
world of white magic. The house was
very still-the servants had obtained
leave to go to the ice carnival and
Alicia was practically alone.
81 simply can't stay indoors!" de-
clared Alicia once more, and with that
declaration all the old-fashioned rules
which had cramped her up-bringins
were irrevocably shattered A hither-
to unknown holiness took possession
of her.
She flew up the thickly carpeted
stairs, through the hall past Aunt
Harriet's closed door and gained the
attic stairway. She shiyered as
little icy blast came down from the
cold space under the roof.
Up in the attic it was almost as light
as day The dormer windows admitted
the moonlight in floods that left only
the corners unlluminated. She knew
In which corner were the playthings
that her father had owned when boy.
She had seen the sled once years ego,
but that was before this new spirit Of
youth had taken hold of her.
eager hands and was carrying it down
the steep stairs. 1t was heavy sled
brightly painted and bearing the name
clipper" in gold letters on the top
Presently Alicia stood out in the
front path with the little sled drag.
cling behind her. She had slipped into
long warm coat and had drawn a
knitted cap over her bright hair and
red mittens on her little hands A pair
of fur-lined boots completed the cos
tune she had donned for this daring
expedition into the snowy world.
Alicia Preble was to break all pre-
cedent in the Prebe family. She was
the first female of the family to in
dulge in the masculine pastime of
coasting down hill.
She gained the snow field next door
and found a promising hill that
sloped away from the Prebe man.
sion. For an instant she poised on
the top Of the HILL gazing out over the
bare white fields below; marveling at
the stiffness of the place. Then she
sat down with her feet bracked
against the little iron bar, tucked in
her skirts we'll and flew down the Icy
hill
1t was breathless period Of ex.
qulsite flight through the frosty air.
The walk to the top of the hill was
nothing,
Again and again Alicia sped on her
solitary trip to the bottom of the hill
She knew that she ought to return to
the house before Aunt Harriet shou d
awake and call for her But she was