Beth’s Wonder-Winter BOOKS BY MARION AMES TAGGART THE SIX GIRLS SERIES SIX GIRLS AND BOB. A Story of Patty Pans and Green Fields. 330 pages. SIX GIRLS AND THE TEA ROOM. A Story. 316 pages. SIX GIRLS GROWING OLDER. A Story. 331 pages. SIX GIRLS AND THE SEVENTH ONE. A Story. 358 pages. BETTY GASTON, THE SEVENTH GIRL. A Story. 352 pages. SIX GIRLS AND BETTY. A Story. 320 pages. SIX GIRLS GROWN UP. A Story. 343 pages. HER DAUGHTER JEAN. A Story. 336 pages. BETH’S WONDER-WINTER. A Story. 352 pages. Price, $1.25 each net These volumes are attractively illustrated and bound uniformly. [Illustration: At every beat of his small hoofs she loved him better (_Frontispiece_)] Beth’s Wonder-Winter _A STORY_ By MARION AMES TAGGART _ILLUSTRATED BY_ WILLIAM F. STECHER [Illustration: Docendo discimus] W. A. WILDE COMPANY BOSTON CHICAGO _Copyrighted, 1914_, BY W. A. WILDE COMPANY _All rights reserved_ BETH’S WONDER-WINTER _Dedicated to Little Frances with great love_ CONTENTS I. WHEN THE MAIL CAME IN 11 II. WHEN THE TRAIN PULLED OUT 23 III. THE CHANGELING 38 IV. THE FAIRY-LAND CHILDREN 54 V. ALL SORTS OF NEW STEPS 69 VI. “THE ISLAND DAY” 84 VII. PILGRIMS AND STRANGERS 99 VIII. TANAGERS AND BLUEBIRDS 116 IX. AFOOT AND ON HORSEBACK 136 X. THE HOSPITAL ON THE HEIGHTS 155 XI. KRIS KRINGLE’S JINGLES 174 XII. THE HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS 194 XIII. “HOLLY AND JOLLY RHYME” 212 XIV. DIRK ENTERTAINS 232 XV. CHRYSALIS AND THE COUNTESS 251 XVI. THE SHROVE NIGHT MASQUE 271 XVII. THE RIDE DOWN THE QUIET ROAD 291 XVIII. “FLORIDA PASQUA” 310 XIX. THE WONDER-WINTER MELTS IN SPRING 328 ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE At every beat of his small hoofs she loved him better (_Frontispiece_) 153 “Oh! good-bye, Aunt Rebecca” 29 Beth ran over to the gracious lady 49 “I’ve been waiting to show it to you” 233 The prince ... slipped a ring upon each hand 307 Beth’s Wonder-Winter CHAPTER I WHEN THE MAIL CAME IN “Beth Bristead, did you tear--how did you tear your apron so?” demanded Beth’s aunt. She held up the accusing rent to explain the change in the form of her question; it left no room for doubt that the apron was torn. Beth, small and quiet for her eleven years, answered unexpectedly: