His school books eyed him reproachfully as he hunted for his skate straps after supper. An arithmetic test impended, and he had a composition to write. Nevertheless, he disregarded both tasks serenely and called for his lady. With her skates swinging with his over one shoulder, they started for the park. "Ever been skating before?" he asked casually as he took hold of her arm that she might pass a slippery bit of walk in safety. Louise shook her head. "Once a mud puddle froze in front of the house where I used to live, and I got a broom and tried. That's all." Then, for an instant, John regretted the invitation. To teach an absolute novice, no matter what the age, to skate with a passable degree of security is no light task. But his hesitation vanished, ten minutes later, when he fastened her skates on and helped her through the doorway of the warming house. It is no unpleasant thing for a small boy's best girl to cling to his arm as did his when they walked, oh so cautiously, down the skate-chopped steps from the boat landing. As they stepped out on the slippery ice, Louise made a last, despairing grab for the step rail. "You go on and skate, Johnny," she pleaded. "I'll just stay here for a while." [Illustration: _"Shooting the duck."_] Nothing loath, he sped off in and out among the swiftly moving, ever changing throng of people. In a moment he shot back to a less crowded space near her, where he "shot the duck," balanced himself first on one foot and then on the other, and finally came to an abrupt halt, leaving a trail of ice shavings in his wake. "My!" said Louise as he stood beside her, panting a little. "I wish I could do those things." He beamed. "They're easy. Hang on to my arm and I'll show you. Now, step out with me. One-two, one-two, one-two." Her ankles bent over until they touched the ice, and her breath came in quick, nervous gasps. Nevertheless, she followed bravely over a scant ten feet of the rink. "Isn't that easy?" She nodded with an assurance which she was far from feeling. "My skate strap hurts. The right one. Loosen it, John." He knelt to make the necessary alteration. As he stood up, one of his lady's feet started off on an unauthorized expedition, and she grabbed him by the arm with a fervency which nearly proved disastrous. "Don't start again just yet," she begged. "I'm tired." As they stood there, a pounding, scurrying figure in black, Red Brown, sped past at top speed. Silvey followed closely, noted the situation, and slowed up. "Leave her in the skating house and come on," he called. "Red's got it and we're having heaps of fun." Skinny Mosher and Perry Alford came, both in pursuit of the fleet-footed Brown. Sid DuPree, puffing audibly, stopped just out of reach, glad of any pretext to halt long enough to catch his breath. "Let's see her skate," he sneered, knowing that Louise dared not release her escort for pursuit. "You're a fine teacher, you are. Don't you wish you were with us?"