“Be sure to tell me if you are cold,” said Donald, looking down at Betty, as they skated forward, “and I’ll take your over to a bonfire in a jiffy.” Donald was used to looking after his younger sisters, but that fact did not quite account for a certain tenderness in his attitude, which Betty felt, but could not understand.
“Before I take you back and anybody takes you away from me, I want to tell you something,” said Donald, “and I want you to promise not to be offended till I’ve had a chance to explain,—will you?”
“Why,—no,” replied Betty, wondering, but ready to promise almost anything within reason, for with sure strokes they were gliding along so happily and there was such exhilaration in skating with Donald that Betty felt quite uplifted and as if she were living in a sort of fairyland.
Donald said nothing for a minute, but then took her around a curve where the moonlight shone full upon them. “Let’s stop here a minute,” he suggested. “I’ve something to show you.” Out of his pocket he took a small object and laid it in her gloved hand. “Is this yours?” he asked.
“Oh!” exclaimed Betty. It was the pansy ornament which had been on her sleeve. “Yes, it is,—I hate to think—”
“Please don’t think that I took it on purpose,” said Donald hastily. “I found it hanging to one of the buttons on my sleeve.”
“O, did anybody else see it?”
“No, indeed. Never from that day to this!”
“Why did you do it?” asked Betty, who felt that perhaps her evening was spoiled.
“Look over your shoulders, you mean? That is what I want to explain. I was over there with Holley and two or three of the boys. We had some idea of calling on the girls, but when we found that Dorothy and you younger girls were having a Hallow-e’en celebration, we gave it up, and old John and I strolled around the grounds awhile. Finally John went inside to see if Holley was ready to go, and I noticed the lights around where Dorothy tells me your society hall is, and strolled around there. Just as I was almost at the door, but back in the shadow of that tree close by, the door opened and you came out. You haven’t any idea of what a picture you made with the candle in you hand, so I just naturally stopped to look. Then you turned around to look back down the steps and held up the mirror,—”