"I didn't do a thing, not a thing. I didn't even hang
to the tail of your skirt as you told me. I, I'm an awful
coward."
The big man patted Nan's shoulder lightly. "There's a little
girl that I'm going to see here in Tillbury," he said gruffly.
"I hope she turns out to be half as smart as you are, sissy."
Then he tramped back to the train that was just then starting.
Nan began to laugh. "Did you hear that funny man?" she asked
Bess. "Do stop your crying, Bess! You have no reason to cry.
You are not hurt."
"But, but you might have been, been drowned, too," sobbed her
chum. "I didn't help you a mite."
"Bother!" exclaimed Nan Sherwood. "Don't let's talk about it.
We'll go home. I guess we've both had enough skating for
tonight."
Bess wiped away her tears and clung to Nan's hand all the way to
their usual corner for separating. Nan ran home from there
quickly and burst into the kitchen to find Momsey and Papa
Sherwood in the midst of a very serious conference.
"What is the matter?" cried Nan, startled by the gravity of her
father and the exaltation upon her mother's face. "What's
happened?"
"A very great thing, Nan, honey," said Momsey, drawing her
daughter to her side. "Tell her, Papa Sherwood.
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