The sidewalks were a glare, the trees, and bushes, to their tiniest twig, were as brittl

winter. Chet Belding came clumping do

med his sister, Laura.

-on the sidewalk-almost anywhere this m

an to try it?

able grandmother's

etw

lator. Mrs. Belding had been perusing her morning mail. Mr.

m!" said C

t you bring to our table? Your gra

upted Chetwood. "Thought you'd like it. It's formal, abounds in flowery express

you mean Professor Dimp, your teacher at Central High, do not call him 'Old Dimp

after breakfast. Going to get Lance and we'll

th tumble down and roll to the bottom of the hill at M

s morning," said her brother. "We can

e jewelry store, in which the girl had certain Saturday morning tasks to perform, the vo

ind blew pretty strongly right up the hill, when Laura and her father started for the store the boys were hol

a, her cheeks rosy with the

down hill; but see what a pull it is to get up again," fo

who was Chet's particular chum, was ahead and

for the 'getting back again.

w you up the hill?" asked Laura, laughi

rother, coming up, too.

Wit!" laughed Lan

hing standing behind the door in his

You're fooling us, L

Laura, preparing to

um suddenly on the back. He was as famil

t, then!" d

e'll get it and try the scheme. Oh, you Mother Wit!" sh

g of Chet and Lance Darby's "mile-a-minute iceb

, for it was now half-past eight. Jess Morse waved to her from a window, and in a moment ca

ried Laura. "We missed you dre

it was hard not to be perfectly frank with Laura, who was always so open

midnight oil, eh

it, propped up in bed, and read over the work she did last night. Saturdays, when I

the first big reception of th

as something very wonderful going t

do you

the p

cried Laura, laughing. "We were not goin

e rumor of the prize

d all over town, if Bobb

errick going to give the

heme, I believe-and it's m

e what it is," cried

en now and the first of January. Any girl can compete-even the freshies.

ped Jess, her

g to try for it-and so's Nell Agnew. Will y

ed her chum. "Oh, Laura! I'm

tly that Laura stared

d. "Does two hundred doll

how hard I want to w

nly, seizing her friend's arm and giving it an affectionat

a!" replied her

ter-you must have talent

like a streak of greased lightning-so Chet says, anyway-but his son, Phil, i

little reflected glory bathes your

like mother," sighed Jess, her mind dwelling on the trouble

play, I hope you do, Jess," repeat

sight of a whole string of boys sliding up the hill of Whiffle Street on their

lled Jess Morse's mind. When her mother finally arose, and folded and sealed and

erament. She had a childish faith in the success of every manuscript she sent out; and u

Mrs. Morse. Jess had kept her evening's troubles strictly to herself. "I believe

we other stores, t

hild. But don

e due. Mr. Chumley w

o soon?" cried the

our rent-three dollars m

of him!" excla

going to get it, Mothe

e got another month before w

that she allowed such responsibilities to slip pas

Mother?" suggested Jess. That was as near as she could get to

if he does, we'll immediately begin trading elsewhere, I don't

most surprising angle. She was just as honest-intentionally-as she could b

ght in from Mr. Vandergriff's store would not last them over Sunday. And her mother seemed to

steady work with the Courier," spo

a good deal of what goes on socially on the Hill. I am welcome in the homes of t

cried Jess, who was really, after a

not covering the Hill as well as might be. I pointed that out to Mr. Prentice;

her's mind with all that trouble? So she said nothing, kissed her fondly, and sallied forth to beard in their lairs "the butcher, the baker, and t