Derry's Lake (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. THE SKAT ING-PARTY. IT was a bright frosty morning, late in November, a few days after the events narrated in our first chapter, that a party of boys, with skates slung over their shoulders, stood at the corner of a street near the academy. Among them were the boys we have introduced to our readers and several others from the academy. They were evidently waiting for some one else to join them, and stamped the ground uneasily, as if their feet were becoming cold. " They say," said Willie Deming, " that the ice on the pond is as smooth as can be." " Yes, it is," said one of the boys; " I was over there last evening, and we had a grand time." " I hope it is," said Frank Selby. " I have dreamed of skating every night this week; it seemed to me as if Saturday never would come." " Why don't Ralph and Joe come ?" said another. " My feet will freeze if they don't." " Guess they were out on a spree last night," said John Davis. The boys laughed, but advised John to let the temperance boys alone. " I mean to," said he with a malicious smile. " You'll see. Hallo, there, Will Deming and Frank Selby ! I thought you were going to join with Ralph and I?" Willie's face flushed at this unexpected question, and he pretended not to hear as he closely examined the buckles and straps of his skates. " See here, Billy, I know. I heard them saying down at old Joe's last night that your father was ag'in secret societies, and that the best people here wouldn't take no part in sich doings; and that's just the reason." "You're mistaken, John, there," said Frank, "for there are some of the best people in town that belong to the lodge." " Well?" But here they were interrupted by a glad cry of " Here they come;" and Ralph and Josie joined them, and the...