“Yes. Don’t you see how much use I am when we go skating? Mr. Severn looks at me, sometimes, as though I were something the cat had brought in.”
But who could have carried tales of Roland Severn’s attentions to Beth as far as Hudsonvale? After about a fortnight of this sport at the ice carnival a tall young man with light hair, a fur cap and huge gloves, who could skate almost as well as the professional teacher who gave exhibitions each evening after nine o’clock, appeared.
“Larry Haven!” cried Beth, fairly falling into his arms to save herself from a tumble, she was so surprised.
Questions and answers volleyed from each. Larry claimed to have come up to Jackson City “on a case.” Every one was well. He was going to stay at a hotel for several days and expected to have each evening free.
Molly Granger tapped Mr. Severn softly on the sleeve. “Come away, little Roland,” she whispered. “That is a sure-enough lawyer-man who used to pull Beth to school on his sled. You and I are still school children. Come away from here—and I will weep with you.”
Beth bore Larry off to Miss Carroll, who chanced to be with the party on this evening; and the young lawyer came to Rivercliff School by appointment, was welcomed by the madam, who graciously remembered him, and was introduced to Miss Hammersly herself.
Larry remained much in evidence until the school broke up for the Christmas and New Year holidays. But it cannot be said that Beth bestowed any great amount of attention upon him, after all. The other girls pronounced him “just dear.”
Beth was in training for the skating races that the skating committee, with the help of Miss Crossleigh, of the school had arranged for. Skating had always been popular at Rivercliff; and now that it had gained such general approval there was not much else talked about outside of study hours and the classroom.
Beth, in her first winter at Rivercliff, had shown her superiority in skating over many of her classmates; but now she had a number of rivals. Both the long distance and short distance races were going to be hotly contested. As for the exhibitions of fancy skating, Beth did not participate in them at all. She saved her strength, skill and wind for the real work on the races.
Miss Hammersly lent her support to the affair, as she did to everything in the way of athletics that was of physical benefit to her girls.