chase came to an end.

When Bert got home he was all out of breath, and his legs trembled so he
could scarcely stand. Nan had just arrived and the family were preparing
to sit down to lunch.

"Why, Bert, why do you run so hard?" protested his mother. "You must not
do it. If you breathe in so much cold air, you may take cold."

"Oh, I--I'm all right," he panted, and started to drop into his seat,
but Mrs. Bobbsey made him go up to the bathroom and wash up and comb his
hair.

Poor Bert was in a fever of anxiety all through the meal. Every instant
he expected to hear the front door bell ring, and find there a policeman
to take him to the station house. He could scarcely eat a mouthful.

"What's the matter? Do you feel sick?" asked the father.

"No, I'm not sick," he answered.

"You play altogether too hard. Take it easy. The snow will last a long
time," went on Mr. Bobbsey.

After lunch Bert did not dare to go back to school. But he could think
of no excuse for staying home and at last set off in company with Nan.
He looked around for Danny, but the big lad did not show himself.

"What's the matter with you, Bert?" questioned his twin sister, as they
trudged along.

"Nothing is the matter, Nan."

"But there is. You act _so_ strange."

"I--I don't feel very good."

"Then you did run too hard, after all."

"It wasn't that, Nan." Bert looked around him. "Do you see anything of
Danny Rugg?"

"No." Nan stopped short. "Bert Bobbsey, did you have a fight with him?"

"No--that is, not a real fight. I chased him with some snowballs and he
threw a big chunk of ice at me."

"Did he hit you?"

"No, he--he--oh, Nan, perhaps I had better tell you. But you must
promise not to tell anybody else."

"Tell me what?"

"Will you promise not to tell?"

"Yes," said Nan promptly, for she and her twin brother always trusted
each other.

"When Danny threw the ice at me it flew past and broke Mr. Ringley's
window."

"What, of the shoe store?"

"Yes. Mr. Ringley came running out after both of us. I ran one way and
Danny ran another. I ran into the alleyway past Jackson's barn, and got
over the fence, and he didn't come any further."

"Does Mr. Ringley think you broke the window?"

"I guess he does. Anyway, he followed me and not Danny."

"But you had nothing to do with it. Oh, Bert, what made you run away at
all. Why didn't you stop and tell the truth?"

"I--I got scared, that's why. I was afraid he'd get a pol