Part 18 (1/2)

”This is Betty's mother speaking,” she said, taking the receiver. ”Betty is anxious to accept your kind invitation, but I want to inquire about the safety of the sport. Where is the hill located and just what are you going to do?”

”Aw, Mother'll spoil it all, Betty,” said d.i.c.k, who was listening, while Betty stood half-way between hall and the dining room double doors.

Betty frowned and shook her head at her brother, who pa.s.sed his plate for a second helping of meat and potato. d.i.c.k was going out himself with his sled and the hill had been pa.s.sed upon by his father, though d.i.c.k in his peregrinations did not always ask permission. That was one of Mr.

Lee's little worries for fear that in a city he could not so easily know just where his son was spending his leisure hours or whether his company was all that it should be. In the country town there was just as much danger of contamination, but they knew so well what was to be avoided and what companions were safe and who were unsafe.

Mother, however, had not ”spoiled it all.” She came back smiling and put her arm about Betty to lead her in the room with her. ”Chet explained it all satisfactorily, and I am rather glad to know that Ted Dorrance and a group of the older high school boys and girls will be there. There is a 'sled load,' I understand, though that used to mean a different sort of sled, in the country. Moreover, it is on the Dorrance place, and it may be that you can be called for. I think myself that the street car is safer, however, and so I told him.”

”Mother!” exclaimed Betty, half embarra.s.sed.

”Don't worry, child. Parents have to manage some of these things. I liked Chet and he is not offended. It is most likely that his own parents have a few remarks to make occasionally. Chet is not old enough to drive a car, Betty.”

”Well, I'm obliged to you anyway, Mother, for letting us go. Did you ring off?”

”Yes, I never thought that Chet might like to speak to you again.”

”Your mother isn't yet used to having young men ring up and talk to her daughter,” mischievously said Mr. Lee.

”And I hope that I shall _not_ get used to it for some time,” firmly replied his wife. ”Betty's not going to run around regardless; and I'm so sure of her that I know she does not want to do it either.”

”I'm perfectly willing to wait until I grow up a little more,” said Betty. ”But this is different.”

”Yes, this is different.”

It was different. Betty never forgot this first winter fun of her freshman year, the night so beautiful, the snow so white, the little company so gay. Moonlight made the most of the scene. It was the first time that Betty had seen the Dorrance place, rather the house, which stood back, facing a road which was marked ”Private” and wound around a short ascent to where two houses were built, some distance apart, upon a hill in a thick grove of trees. But the hill began to descend where the houses were and only the trees and chimneys could be seen from the main road where ran the street cars. A path had been well cleared and machines had gone over the road since the snow had fallen. Escorted by the three boys, the three girls ascended the hill after leaving the street car and heard, while they talked, the merry laughter of a group just preceding them.

”So this is where you live, Chet,” said Janet, by this time well acquainted, for she and Chet had pulled taffy together and joked each other while they did it.

”Yes; it's a bit of a climb for some folks, but my mother uses the car most of the time and I suppose it isn't more than a good square's walk to the house. The hill we're going to slide on is the other side of the house. You see there's really a ravine there, but this hill is wide and the way the ground slopes and humps around it makes a good long hill of it. We've got it as slick as can be and we'll shoot across a narrow brook at the foot. It's good and frozen tonight and getting colder.

You'll all come in the house and meet Mother first. But we're going to make a big bonfire to get warm by and Louise, Ted's girl, you know, says we can roast marshmallows the same as if it were summer.”

”So this is Betty Lee,” said pretty Mrs. Dorrance, holding Betty's hand a trifle longer, as she was the last girl of the group. ”Both Ted and Chet have spoken of you. I am glad to meet you and I hope that my boys can give all you girls a good time tonight. I've cautioned them to be careful of you.”

”Now, Mother!” cried Chet. ”You don't understand. Of course we'll take care of them, but they're pretty independent, too, and they'll tell us if they don't want to do anything, at least Louise will tell Ted!”

”I hope so.”

”We want to do what everybody does,” gently said Betty, ”and I'm sure the boys know about the hill and everything, don't they, Mrs. Dorrance?”

”I hope so,” whimsically replied Mrs. Dorrance, who was timid about sports of all sorts, though she rather liked this confidence in her boys.

Then the fun began. The girls and boys in warm sweaters and woollen caps gathered about the bob sleds at the top of the hill. One with Ted guiding and full of the older ones went first, down, down around, up a little, swooping down till it was lost to view and only the little squeals and shrieks of excitement or a whoop from some boy reached Betty's ears.

”I'll let you take this one down, Budd,” said Chet. ”Budd's an expert, girls. Now not too many. We've another right here and I'll take that first. Chauncey, watch how I take that curve and you can take it down next time. Come on, Betty, as soon as Budd's sled goes and rounds the curve all right we'll start, I think.”

Shortly Betty found herself flying among the shadows, through patches of moonlight, around the breath-taking curve, shooting down a straight, steep descent, holding tight, breathing in the fresh, frosty air, happy as a bird. Again and again they climbed and descended till they were tired and lit the great pile prepared by the boys in an open s.p.a.ce. The flames shot up, lighting the gay colors of the sweaters and coats, the bright young faces and the snow man that some one started to build while marshmallows were really being toasted. A s...o...b..ll fight or two livened the scene for a little, and oh, how surprised they all were, when some one looked at a watch in the firelight and announced that it was getting late.

”Don't put on any more wood, boys,” said Louise Madison. ”I've only been able to toast anything in this one corner as it is; and if it is as late as that we'll go in, for Mrs. Dorrance will be calling us.”