Nancy at once stood up, and after a fitting exchange of holiday sentiment, announced that she was on her way to slide down hill, and took her departure. But she could not by any possibility have more than reached the gate when Sube threw into the furnace the only existing evidence of his guilt; and as he watched it turn into uncommunicative ashes he muttered to himself, "Nance is _all right_! But if they ever catch me tellin' the truth again--they'll _know_ it! Here I got to stay in the house all day when I might jus' well be slidin' down hill." He stood and gazed at the glowing coals long after the piece of wood had been consumed, and as he gazed, he wondered. "Would Nance 'ave done as much for Biscuit Westfall?" he asked himself. He didn't believe she would. And he was right. THE END