tried ter milk
our old Sukey from the wrong side, an' Sukey nigh kicked her through the
side of the shed," and Mr. Snubbins indulged in another fit of laughter
over this bit of comedy.

He was still chuckling when they climbed down from the hard eminence of a
drift into a spot that had been cleared of snow before the Morton's side
door. At once the door was opened and a big, bewhiskered man looked out.

"Well, well, Si!" he ejaculated. "I thought them was your Celia and my
Sallie. _Them_ girls air strangers, ain't they? Some more of that tribe
of movin' picture actresses?"

"I vow ter Maria, Peleg!" ejaculated Mr. Snubbins. "What's happened to
Celia? Ain't she here?"

"No. Nor no more ain't Sallie," Mr. Morton said. "Come in. Bring in them
young ladies. I'll tell ye about it. Sallie's maw is mighty upsot."

"But ain't Celia _here_?" reiterated Mr. Snubbins, as he and the chums
from Tillbury passed into the warm, big kitchen.

"No, she ain't, I tell you."

"But she started over for here yesterday morning, figgerin' to spend the
day with your Sallie. When she didn't come back at night my woman an' me
reckoned it snowed so hard you folks wouldn't let her come."

"Oh, lawk!" exclaimed Mr. Morton. "They was off yesterday mornin' just as
soon as your Celia got here. Planned it all a forehand--the deceivin'
imps! Said they was goin' to the Corner. An' they did! Sam Higgin picked
'em up there an' took 'em along to Littleton; an' when he plowed past
here jest at evenin' through the snow he brought me a note. Hi, Maw,
bring in that there letter," shouted Peleg Morton.

That the two men were greatly disturbed by the running away of their
daughters, there could be no doubt. Nan was sorry she and Bess had come
over from the train. These people were in serious trouble and she and her
chum could not help them.

She drew the wondering Bess toward the door, and whispered: "What do you
think, Bess? Can't we go back to the train alone?"

"What for, Nan?" cried Bess.

"Well, you see, they are in trouble."

At that moment Mrs. Morton hurried in with a fluttering sheet of paper in
her hand. She was a voluminous woman in a stiffly starched house dress,
everything about her as clean as a new pin, and a pair of silver-bowed
spectacles pushed up to her fast graying hair. She was a wholesome,
hearty, motherly looking woman, and Nan Sherwood was attracted to her at
first sight.

Even usually unobservant Bess was impressed. "Isn't