Year: 1874

but, at all events, one fine December
day, lie decided to call for Faith MUIR
ray and ask her to go with him on the
grand sleighing party to the ''quilting-
bee across the river, There would
be such a magnificent drive on the ice,
and such splendid opportunity to
make up. and Curt had laid the matter
very close, indeed, to his heart and
hopes.


And yet, even when he went after
her, he blundered, just like himself,
from the very beginning. Instead of
dashing up in his gay little cutter,
with '.just room for two," the sleigh
he drove was the biggest of all the
half-dozen or so that was hitched in
front of Squire Murray's ample door
way, and Faith had said TO herself. as
she looked at it from the window:


Looks as if he was going TO carry
all the girls in the neighborhood :" and
her blue eyes had darkened, and her
fair cheeks mad flushed with fresh vex
alton. She was. every bit ready to
take fire, therefore, few minutes lat
er. when her too open heart ed admirer
asked


you'll step into my sleigh, won't
+ you Faith, even if YOU won't put yonr
foot IN my boat


/ And she answered, sharply:


mo. indeed, sir, don't care TO ride
in an omnibus. You will, doubtless,
have plenty of company without me"


If Curt Rowland had seemed 10
make light of his rebuff at the summer
picnic. 1t was very different now, and
there was something in the panied,
hurt, disappointed expression of his
manly and really handsome face that
would have carried the day in his favor
under any other circumstances. Every
girl in the room was on his side in
moment-but Faiths rosy checks
burned only the hotter for her con-
sciousncss of that fact-and the only
person present who felt any real salts.
faction was Silc Herring. the village
lawyer, who was now sure Of his good
fortune TO ofiiciate as Faith Murray's
escort TO and from the quilting.


As for Curt himself not word said
he, but turned steadily and dignitiedly
toward the door. and in another min
ute the quick. sharp jingle of his bells
told Faith that his sleigh Was, like his
boat, doomed to go empty Of lady pas
sengers until her own feet came back
TO it.


Up TO that moment Curtis mind had
been occupied only with JOYOUS autici-
pations of reconciliation with Faith.
and of the fun he would have on the
sleigh ride. going and coming, as w0ll
as at the quilting. Now, however, rs
his fleet team drew him swiftly along
the river road on his lonely way home
ward, his eyes wandered up and down
the river. predisposcd to discover any
thing that might appear to suggest an
merrymaklnI.


1t is very strange how differently the
world will look 10 a man in one frame
of mind and another That morning
the sun had been CHEEKY, the sleighing
bad been extraordinarily good, and
Curtis merry eyes had discovered no
flaws IN the prospect but now, as if
his wits were sharpened by Faith Muir
rays rough reply, he began TO discern
that the snow was remarkably soft and
,'soggy that, although the first
freeze" Of the winter had been = Sc
we're one, and the ice had formed thick
and strong, there had now, for several
days, been altogether too much sun
shine and there was no such thing as
telling what the effect of it might be.


| p and down the wide expanse he
gazed, and here and there he saw light
cutters and even heavily-laden wood
sleighs crossing and recrossing, and
the former now and then putting in an
extra burst Of speed over the smooth
and glancing surface. Neither to the
right hand nor to the left did he turn,
and by the time that Faith Murray and
her friends were on their way TO the
quilting, Curt Howland's team was
safe in the stable, while his big sleigh
stood empty by the back door Of the
house, with all his buffalo robes,
blankets, clumsiness and disgrace, still
cllnging to its unoccupied spaces.


AS for Faith herself, she had hardly
ever seemed in such eXuberant spirits
as she displayed that evening, and Mr..
Silas Herring assumed for himself Il
species of personal triumph, Us he
compared his own position and occu-
pations with what he could imagine of
Curt Howlands brooding at home over
his defeat. The quilting was thronged
with young people and old, from far
and near, but good, old-fashioned
hours were kept, nevertheless, and all
the more so, probably, because of the
anticipated pleasure Of the leigh-rides
atteward.


l: Faith Murray had any remorsefui
promptings concerning her conduct,
she certainly gave no external token
thereof, and led the fun as if she never
heard of such a person as Curtis How
land. Perhaps keen observer, like
her own mother. if only that good lady
had been present, might have inclined
to the idea that Faith was ''Overdoing"
something but Silas Herring was not a
keen observer, and the rest of the mer-
ry compnny neither thought nor cared
what might be the source Of her high
spirits. When at last the ''quilting-
bee" broke up, those whose homeward
way did not permit them to drive in
the direction of the river, were half
disposed to envy those whose better
fortune was to lead them across its
broad, smooth bosom. They little
dreamed how much to be perferred
were the rougher but more safe and
solid roads that took them even among
rugged hills and heavily-drifted val
leys.


Somehow or other, instead Of gong
TO bed At his usual hour, Curt Rowland