"Well, then, call it the parlor," said Freddie. "When it's done we can
put in a carpet and two chairs for us to sit on."

It was hard work for such little hands to dig out the inside of the heap
of snow, but they kept at it, and at last the hole was big enough for
Freddie to crawl into.

"Oh, it's jess _beau_tiful!" he cried, "Try it, Flossie!" And Flossie
did try, and said the house was going to be perfect.

"Only we must have a bay window," she added. "And a curtain, just like
mamma."

They continued to shovel away, and soon Freddie said he could almost
stand up in the house. He was inside, shoveling out the snow, while his
twin sister packed what he threw out on the outside, as Sam had told
them to do.

"Where shall I put the bay window?" asked the little boy, presently.

"On this side," answered Flossie, pointing with the shovel she held.

At once Freddie began to dig a hole through the side of the pile of
snow.

"Be careful, or the house will come down!" cried Flossie, all at once,
and hardly had she spoken when down came the whole top of the snow pile
and poor Freddie was buried completely out of sight!

CHAPTER VII

FREDDIE AND FLOSSIE'S SNOW HOUSE

"Freddie! Freddie!" shrieked Flossie, when she saw her twin brother
disappear. "Do come out!"

But Freddie could not come out, and when, after a few seconds he did not
show himself, she ran toward the kitchen door, screaming at the top of
her breath.

"Oh, Dinah! Dinah! Freddie is buried! Freddie is buried!"

"Wot's dat yo' say, Flossie?" demanded the cook, coming to the door.

"Freddie is buried. The ceiling of the snow house came down on him!"

"Gracious sakes alive, chile!" burst out Dinah, and without waiting to
put anything on her head she rushed forth into the garden. "Gib me dat
shovel quick! He'll be stuffocated fo' yo' know it."

[Illustration: "DAT CHILE DUN GWINE AN' BURIED HIMSELF ALIVE."--P.
53.]

She began to dig away at the pile of snow, and presently uncovered one
of Freddie's lower limbs. Then she dropped the shovel and tugged away at
the limb and presently brought Freddie to view, just as Mrs. Bobbsey and
Nan appeared on the scene.

"What in the world is the matter?" questioned Mrs. Bobbsey, in alarm.

"Dat chile dun gwine an' buried himself alive," responded the colored
cook. "De roof of de snow house cabed in on him, pooh dear! He's 'most
stuffocated!"

In the meantime Freddie was gasping for breath. Then he l