"Do you feel fit to go?" her mother said, with a keen look at her. Comfort was pale and sober and did not have much appetite. It had struck her several times that her mother's and also her grandmother's manner toward her was a little odd, but she did not try to understand it. "Yes, ma'am," said Comfort. "What are you going to do over there?" Comfort hesitated. A pink flush came on her face and neck. Her mother's eyes upon her were sharper than ever. "Matilda said maybe her Uncle Jared would take us a sleigh-ride to Bolton," she faltered. "Well," said her mother, "if you're going a sleigh-ride you'd better take some yarn stockings to pull over your shoes, and wear my fur tippet. It's most too cold to go sleigh-riding, anyway." Directly after dinner Comfort went over to Matilda Stebbins's, with her mother's stone-marten tippet around her neck and the blue yarn stockings to wear in the sleigh under her arm. But when she got to the Stebbins's house, Matilda met her at the door with a crestfallen air. "Only think," said she; "ain't it too bad? Uncle Jared had to go to Ware to buy the horse, and we can't go to Bolton." Comfort looked at her piteously. "Guess I'd better go home," said she. But Matilda was gazing at her doubtfully. "Look here," said she. "What?" said Comfort. "It ain't mor'n three miles to Bolton. Mother's walked there, and so has Imogen--" "Do you s'pose--we could?" "I don't b'lieve it would hurt us one mite. Say, I tell you what we can do: I'll take my sled, and I'll drag you a spell and then you can drag me, and that will be riding half the way for both of us, anyhow." "So it will," said Comfort. But Matilda looked doubtful again. "There's only one thing," she said. "Mother ain't at home--she and Rosy went over to grandma's to spend the day this morning--and I can't ask her. I don't see how I can go without asking her, exactly." Comfort thought miserably, "What would Matilda Stebbins say if she knew I took that ring when my mother told me not to?" "Well," said Matilda, brightening, "I don't know but it will do just as well if I ask Imogen. Mother told me once that if there was anything very important came up when she was away that I could ask Imogen." Imogen was Matilda's eldest sister. She was almost eighteen, and she was going to a party that night, and was hurrying to finish a beautiful crimson tibet dress to wear. "Now don't you talk to me and hinder me one moment. I've everything I can do to finish this dress to wear to the party," she said, when Matilda and Comfort went into the sitting-room. "Can't I go to Bolton with Comfort Pease, Imogen?" asked Matilda. "I thought you were going with Uncle Jared--didn't mother say you might? Now don't talk to me, Matilda." "Uncle Jared's got to go to Ware to buy the horse, and he can't take us." "Oh, I forgot. Well, how can you go, then? You and Comfort had better sit down and play checkers, and be contented." "We _could_ walk," ventured Matilda.