Anna Chapin Ray

“ Rob gone, there was no especial sense in her shutting herself up to pindle and pine over his absence.
"Thank you," she said. "I'll go."
Half the Quebec world was out upon the terrace, that night. From far up on the glacis beneath the King's Bastion, the long toboggan slide stretched steeply down, then cut its level way across the terrace to the very feet of the Sieur de Champlain at the northern end. ”

“ Most of his friends are away at school, anyway, and he hasn't told a soul he is to be in town. You write to Sidney, in the morning; and I'll send a note to Rob, to look out for a message from her." Then she turned back to Ronald. "Come," she said; "shall we have one more last slide, before it gets too late?" And, with a Leslie upon either hand, she went back into the heart of the throng. ”

“ Between the gleaming chains of electric lights, the double lines of toboggans were charging down the slope and out upon the level course below, while, from the gay groups mounting the steps or gathered waiting at the top of the slides, light talk and laughter came floating down to mingle with the strident buzz of the toboggans and the shriller cries of their excited freight. ”

“ It will give us just so much more room. Come, Day, we'll race them to the top of the slide." And presently they were once more skimming the surface of the terrace, past the bandstand, past the guns, past the entrance to the Château court, and on and on until Ronald steered the toboggan sharply to one side, to avoid hitting the rail at the extreme northern end of the terrace. ”

“ Then there came a little pause between them, and the pause lengthened. Under its spell, the voices on the slide behind them grew faint and indistinct, and the strident hum of many toboggans lost itself in the throbbing beat of the little ferry-boat just swinging out into the stream. Suddenly Day spoke.
"Ronald," she asked ”