“But oh, Mr. Frost,” objected Lionel, “I never saw an icicle with a wheel in my life, and I never saw one go either.”

“That’s because you have n’t seen me on one; and even if you had seen me on one, you wouldn’t have known it,—­we travel so fast.  Did you ever notice that when things are going at the very rapidest rate possible, they seem to be standing perfectly still?  That’s the way with icicles.  They have tremendous speed in them.  They go so fast you can’t realize it, and then when they are slowing up they don’t do it with a clumsy jerk as bicycles do; they just gradually melt out of sight.”

“Yes, I ’ve seen them do that.  I ’ve seen them go that way,” admitted Lionel.  “But will you take me to the beggar?  I’m ’fraid I sha’n’t be able to give him his rule if I don’t hurry up.”

“But do you know in what direction he went?” asked Jack Frost.  “If one wants to catch up with any one, one needs to have some idea of the direction he took.  It’s quite a desideratum,—­when you get home, look that up.”

Then Lionel felt deeply mortified.  “What a silly I was!” he said.  “Perhaps I was going just the opposite way from the one he went.  Oh, dear! how can I ever give him back his rule?  It is such a beauty.  If it had been mine, I ’d just hate to lose it.”

“Let us examine it,” suggested Jack Frost, “and see if there is any sign upon it that would help to discover its owner;” and without a moment’s doubt or hesitation Lionel drew it from his pocket and held it up for Jack Frost to see.

Then for a little space they both gazed at it carefully; Jack Frost bending down his tall head to get a nearer view of it, and Lionel standing upon the tips of his toes to accomplish the same purpose.

“Oh, see, see!” cried the boy, joyously.  “It says, ’LIONEL,—­HIS RULE FOR LIFE.’  That means I can keep it for always, does n’t it?  Forever ‘n’ ever.”

“It means,” explained Jack Frosty gravely, “that you can keep it,—­yes.  But it means you are to measure your life with it.  You are always to use it in everything you do.  Then you ’ll be true, and whatever you do will be straight and square.”

“Why, that’s what he said himself.  He said I must always ‘go square.’  That was when he was giving me directions how to reach the beautiful place he came from.  He called it an estate; and he said if I ever got there I ’d never want to come away.  As long as I ’m on the way I guess I ’ll try to find that place.  Will you take me?”

“I ’m afraid,” replied Jack Frost, with a very kindly seriousness,—­“I ’m afraid one must depend on one’s self in order to reach that place.  But I ’ll tell you what I will do; I ’ll stay with you for a bit, and, perhaps, having company will hearten you, so if you happen to come across any specially bad places just at first, you won’t be discouraged.  And I want to tell you that if you are ever in doubt as to the way and no one is there to give you advice, just set yourself to work and use your rule and you ’ll come out right.  Now don’t forget!” and with these words he vanished.