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Mr. Emberton and Alice, inasmuch as their sleigh was
before that of Max and Caroline, took the lead; and in a
few moments—so rapid was their flight—the whole party
arrived at and commenced the ascent of the Third Hill
mountain, cutting through the heavy snow drifts, darting
along on the hard frozen portions of the road, and every
moment rising higher above the little valley which they
could already, from their elevated position, overlook
throughout its entire length and breadth.

The morning was bright and beautiful, but bracing
and cold. The cool wind brought roses into the cheeks
of the young girls, and the sunlight flooded their bright
faces and laughing eyes with its full golden splendor.

Nestling under her furs, Caroline bent her eyes on the
sleigh which glided rapidly, with its merry bells some
distance on before them. She seemed to be somewhat
annoyed at the unlucky mistake which had thrown her
with her cousin. Not that Caroline disliked Max; on
the contrary she was very fond of him; but only in that
cousinly degree which is so far removed from any softer
feeling. She had set her heart on riding with Mr. Emberton
that day; and had arranged an agreeable little
series of teasings for his especial benefit; and she was
much disappointed at not being able to carry into effect
these amiable intentions.

Max's eyes, if the truth must be told, were also fixed
upon the sleigh in advance of them, much more frequently
than upon the beautiful girl at his side. We know
his secret at least—if that of other persons is not so

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plain; and it must be confessed the young man had felt
a very acute disappointment, at the accident which had
prevented him from having the charming ride he had
promised himself with Alice by his side. Mr. Emberton
did not improve in his opinion, for his own agency in the
matter.

“See what a glorious day, cousin Caroline,” said Max,
“here we are on the mountain top, and yonder is the
North Mountain which we must also cross before we can
swoop down on Martinsburg.”

“Yes, yes, a lovely day!” cried Caroline, “but the
wind is very cold.”

“Oh, you must expect that—”

“In a sleigh ride, I know. I rather enjoy the cold.”

“Wrap up well—fix the bear skin over your feet
securely,” said the young man, bending down and arranging
the fur around the young girl's delicate ankles.

“Oh, they feel much warmer now! Thank you.
How fast we are going!”

“Do you like sleigh bells?”

“Oh, I delight in them.”

“And I; I think they are very merry.”

“Very merry.”

This entertaining dialogue was gone through with
somewhat absently, the eyes of the interlocutors being
fixed on the sleigh before them, which was flying like a
swallow over the smooth descent of the mountain, its
merry bells supplying pleasantly the place of echoes to
their own.

“What music!” said Caroline.

“Delightful,” replied Max.

“And at this rate we will swoop down on Martinsburg
in a little while, as you say, cousin Max. You don't
intend to carry off any body, do you?”

“How?”

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“Hawks only, swoop—and hawks carry off chickens,”
said Caroline, philosophically.

“There are no chickens in town equal to our mountain
ones,” said Max, laughing.

“Come, Mr. Flatterer!”

“You are welcome to your portion, cousin Carry,” said
Max, absently.

“My small portion I know: for you can not deny that
Alice takes up the greater part.”

“Certainly, I deny it,” said Max, slacking his rein and
thereby increasing the speed of the already flying sleigh.

“Deny what?” said Caroline, looking mischievously at
her cousin.

“Why, deny your accusation!” said Max, turning
round with some embarrassment and fixing his eyes on
his cousin's laughing face.

“What accusation?”

“The one you made.”

“What was it?”

Max laughed and colored slightly with the consciousness
that Caroline had fathomed his abstraction; Caroline
burst out laughing.

“You were not thinking of me, cousin Max,” she said,
“you were thinking of Alice. Upon my word I believe
you are in love with her, and now I come to think of it—
to remember—to put this and that together—yes I'd take
my oath you are in love with sister!” cried the young
girl clapping her hands and laughing merrily.

Max blushed and turned away his head from his cousin.

“What folly!” he muttered.

“Do you deny it?”

“Certainly,” said Max, smiling and regaining confidence.

“You ought to reply, `Certainly I deny it,”' said
Caroline, archly, “then you would use the very words
you did just now, when I charged you with allowing

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Alice a larger portion of your regard than myself, and
when you did not hear me because you were so intently
gazing at her in the sleigh before us!”

The young girl's laugh rang out loud and merry. Max
adroitly turned the conversation.

“We are coming to the stream,” said he, “I suppose
the ice will bear us. It is quite deep, and I should not
fancy giving you a wetting, my charming cousin.”

“See! they are nearly on the ice.”

“Heaven send it don't break!”

The sleigh of Mr. Emberton darted across the frozen
stream like a sunbeam, throwing the light coating of snow
which lay upon it, up in brilliant clouds. Just as they
reached the other side, Mr. Robert Emberton, by a sudden
movement pressed his lips to Alice's cheek.

This manœuvre was distinctly perceived by Max and
Caroline, and without thinking of the conversation they
had just had, they both uttered an indignant exclamation.

“It is too bad—really too bad!” said the young man,
his brow flushing with anger.

“It is outrageous!” said Caroline.

“On what pretense!—”

“I should like to know!”

“For this person—” muttered Max, throwing a wrathful
glance at Mr. Emberton's sleigh.

“For Alice—” said Caroline; and then stopped.

“It was not Alice's fault,” said Max.

“It certainly was wrong in her to submit to it, cousin!”
said Caroline.

“The wrong is from him—and he shall—”

The young man stopped, half from indignation, half
from a feeling of propriety. Caroline was not the person
to inform of his intention to call Mr. Emberton to
account.

“It certainly is not a bridge!” said the young girl.

“And is it well settled that ladies are kissed on bridges?”

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“When they are sleighing—at least they would not be
justified in feeling offended.”

“But this is not a bridge,” said Max.

“I just said so,” said Caroline.

`Why then—?”

“Certainly; why then?” And Caroline burst out
laughing.

“You are in love with Alice,” said she, merrily, “you
are too indignant for any thing but a lover.”

Max turned full upon his laughing cousin, and smiled
satirically.

“You were quite as indignant as myself!” he said, with
a meaning look. Caroline blushed to the roots of her
hair.

“Come, dear cousin Carry,” said Max, “don't let us
quarrel; I never mean to hurt any one's feelings.”

The young girl pouted, and replied:

“My feelings are not hurt.”

“Then let us strain a point, and turn the ice into a
bridge;” said Max, as they darted at full speed on the
smooth surface, “a cousinly kiss to make friends!”

The frozen stream was crossed, and they fled onward
like the wind.

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