“How do you know it would?” Arabella asked in a teasing voice.

“How do you know it wouldn’t?” Patricia replied, and Arabella chose to make no reply.

After the little happening in the conservatory on the evening of the party, Aunt Matilda spoke plainly to Arabella about her choice of playmates.

“I don’t approve of that Lavine girl,” she had said.

“You don’t know her,” ventured Arabella.

“I don’t need to,” was the curt reply.  “A girl that can’t go to a party without meddling with things, and getting into mischief, is not the girl that I care to have you with, and there’s no reason why you should go to the other end of the town to find a playmate; there are enough pleasant girls in your own school.”

Aunt Matilda’s words were true, but with Arabella’s contrary nature, the fact that her aunt did not approve of Patricia, made her the most desirable of all her playmates.

She at once decided to spend the next Saturday with Patricia.  She did not dare to ask Patricia to call for her, because Aunt Matilda, if exasperated, might send her home, and Patricia would never overlook that.  She had just decided to invite herself to visit Patricia when something happened which delighted her.

It was after school, and they were talking of the coming Saturday, and how it should be spent.

“We’ve not seen you driving your pony for a long time,” said Katie Dean.

“We are going out with Romeo on Saturday,” Dorothy said.

“There’s a lovely road where the great icicles hang from the trees like fringe, and the groom says it’s the finest road for sleighing in Merrivale.”

Patricia had not been to school, and had walked over to meet the pupils of the little private class.

“I suppose Nancy’s going with you,” Patricia said.

“Of course she will,” said Katie, “don’t you just know that Dorothy wouldn’t care for the ride if Nancy weren’t with her?”

Katie laughed as she said it, the others joining in the merriment, for it was well known that while Dorothy cared very truly for all her friends, Nancy was the dearest.  Patricia knew how handsome Romeo looked in his fine harness, and the trim little sleigh with its soft fur robes made a nice setting for Dorothy and Nancy as they spun over the glistening road.  She determined to say something which would impress all who listened.

“I’ll invite you to a sleighride with me, Arabella,” she said, “will you go?”

“Yes, indeed,” said Arabella, “what time shall I be ready?”

“You be over at my house ’bout two, and we’ll go as soon as we want to,” she said.

Nina looked at Jeanette, and when Patricia had left them she spoke the thought that was in her mind.

“I didn’t know Patricia Lavine had a horse and sleigh.  Has any one ever seen her driving?” she asked.

“Don’t b’lieve she has,” said Reginald.