Page:Anna Chapin--Half a dozen boys.djvu/156

136 ma’am, for I know you have some skates, even if you don’t know how to use them.”

“Yes, we’ll teach you,” added Ted. “It’s fine to-night, and we want you to go like thunder—oh!” And he had the grace to blush over his last word.

“But my skates are dull,” pleaded Bessie.

“We’ve had them sharpened,” said Phil, triumphantly dangling them before her eyes. “Sha’n’t she go, Fred? ”

Now Fred did want to hear the rest of the story, instead of passing a lonely evening. For a moment his face clouded, but a sudden thought came to him, that such a feeling was unworthy the hero he was trying to be, and he said bravely,—

“Please go, Miss Bess. I truly wish you would, and you can tell me how many times  you fall down.”

Bess had seen his struggle, and more than ever longed to stay with him; but the boys  were clamorous, so she yielded, and went with them.

She had told the truth when she had said she could not skate, for, although she had