They paused and she went to the window, standing under the cheap lace curtains. It was a moonlight night. The rows of trees that lined the street on either side were leafless; the grass brown and dead. Through the thin, interlaced twigs that were like silver filigree they could see the lamps of other houses shining through half-drawn blinds. A man went by, a black shadow in the half-light. "Isn't it lovely?" she said. Eugene came near. "It's fine," he answered. "I wish it were cold enough to skate. Do you skate?" She turned to him. "Yes, indeed," he replied. "My, it's so nice on a moonlit night. I used to skate a lot at Moline." "We skate a lot here. There're two lakes, you know." He thought of the clear crystal nights when the ice of Green Lake had split every so often with a great resounding rumble. He thought of the crowds of boys and girls shouting, the distant shadows, the stars. Up to now he had never found any girl to skate with successfully. He had never felt just easy with anyone. He had tried it, but once he had fallen with a girl, and it had almost cured him of skating forever. He felt as though he could skate with Stella. He felt that she might like to skate with him. "When it gets colder we might go," he ventured. "Myrtle skates." "Oh, that'll be fine!" she applauded. Still she looked out into the street. After a bit she came back to the fire and stood before him, pensively looking down. "Do you think your father will stay here?" he asked. "He says so. He likes it very much." "Do you?" "Yes--now." "Why _now_?" "Oh, I didn't like it at first." "Why?" "Oh, I guess it was because I didn't know anybody. I like it though, now." She lifted her eyes. He drew a little nearer. "It's a nice place," he said, "but there isn't much for me here. I think I'll leave next year." "Where do you think you'll go?" "To Chicago. I don't want to stay here." She turned her body toward the fire and he moved to a chair behind her, leaning on its back. She felt him there rather close, but did not move. He was surprising himself. "Aren't you ever coming back?" she asked. "Maybe. It all depends. I suppose so." "I shouldn't think you'd want to leave yet." "Why?" "You say it's so nice." He made no answer and she looked over her shoulder. He was leaning very much toward her. "Will you skate with me this winter?" he asked meaningly. She nodded her head. Myrtle came in. "What are you two talking about?" she asked. "The fine skating we have here," he said. "I love to skate," she exclaimed. "So do I," added Stella. "It's heavenly." CHAPTER II