The Bobbsey Twins at Snow Lodge | Page 8

he added with a
sigh. "Is there any money left, Bert?"
"Yes, a little," answered his brother "But you have had your share."
"Oh, if there is any left let him and Flossie have it," suggested Grace.
"They're the smallest ones here."
"Yes, do," urged Nellie, and as several others agreed that this was the
thing to do, the two little Bobbsey twins each bad another cup of
chocolate.
"Though Freddie has almost as much outside his mouth as inside it,"
said Nan, with a laugh.
Then the merry party of boys and girls trooped homeward, Bert and
Nan thinking on the way of the strange words of Mr. Carford and
wondering what he meant by them.
Several of the older boys, who knew the old gentleman, told something
of him. He was a strange character, living in a fine old homestead. He
was said to be queer on certain matters, but kind and good, and quite
charitable, especially at Christmas time, to the poor of that country

neighborhood.
"We'll ask papa about him when we get home," said Bert. "Maybe he
can explain it."
But when the Bobbsey twins reached their house they found that their
father had suddenly been called away on a business trip to last for some
days, and so they did not see him.
"I haven't the least idea what Mr. Carford meant," said Mrs. Bobbsey,
when they had asked her. "I did not even know that your father knew
him. I am sorry you children were in danger on the hill."
"Oh, it wasn't much, mother," said Bert quickly, for he feared if his
parent grew too worried she might put a stop to the winter fun.
Supper was soon ready and then came a happy period before bedtime--
that is happy after lessons had been learned. Snoop the black cat, and
Snap, the smart circus dog, were allowed in the living room, to do some
of their tricks, Snoop having been taught a number while with the fat
lady in the circus.
Bert fell asleep vainly wondering about the queer words of Mr. Carford,
and he dreamed that he was sliding down hill on the back of a horse
who turned somersaults, every now and then, into a bag of popcorn.
Coasting came to an end the next day, for there was a big snow storm,
and the hill would not be in good condition until the white flakes were
packed hard on the slope. But there were other forms of sport--
snowballing, the making of forts, snow houses and snow men, so that
the Bobbseys and their friends were kept busy.
Then came a little thaw, and the snow was just soft enough to roll into
big balls.
"It's just right for making a large fort!" exclaimed Danny Rugg one day,
after school was out. "We'll roll up a lot of big balls, put them in lines
on four sides and make a square fort. Then, we'll choose sides and have

a snow fight."
The other boys agreed to this, and soon Bert and the others, including
Danny and his friends, were busily engaged. For the time being the
hard feeling between Danny and Bert was forgotten.
The fort was finished, and there was a spirited snow battle about it, one
side trying to capture it and the other trying to stop them. Bert's side
managed to get into the fort, driving the others out.
"Oh, we'll beat you to-morrow!" taunted Danny, when the battle was
over.
The next morning, when the children assembled at school, they saw a
strange sight. On the front steps of the building was a great snowball,
so large that it almost hid the door from sight. And working at it, trying
to cut it away so that the entrance could be used, was the janitor. He
was having hard work it seemed.
"Who did it?"
"Who put it there?"
"Say, it's frozen fast, too!"
"Somebody will get into trouble about this."
These were only a few of the things said when the children saw the big
snowball on the school steps.
"It's frozen fast all right enough," said the janitor, grimly. "Whoever put
it there poured water over it, and it's frozen so fast that I'll have to chop
it away piece by piece. All day it will take me, too, and me with all the
paths to clean!"
When the classes were assembled for the morning exercises Mr. Tetlow,
the school principal, stepped to the edge of the platform, and said:
"I presume you have all seen the big snow ball on the front steps.

Whoever put it there did a very wrong thing. I know several boys must
have had a hand in it, for one could not do it alone. I will now give
those who