ad proposed a whole day out, and the children
were of course delighted.

As they were starting Mr. Allonby looked at his little son, who had
skates in one hand, Nobbles in the other.

'I think you had better leave Nobbles at home, my boy; he will be in
your way.'

'Oh, please let me take him! He would be so 'normously disappointed if
I left him behind; he does love the country.'

Mr. Allonby laughed.

'Have your own way then.'

They set off in high spirits. Every bit of the day was a keen pleasure
to them--the train journey, the walk from the station to the old
country house belonging to Mr. Allonby's friend, and then the
adjournment to the artificial lake in the park, where a large number of
skaters were assembled. There were other children there who at once
made friends with Bobby and True, and, when luncheon time came, they
were asked to come up to the house. This, however, Mr. Allonby
declined, and a few others besides themselves preferred to lunch on the
banks of the bit of water.

'I like this much the best,' said Bobby, snuggling close to his father;
'it's as hot as fire, isn't it?'

His father looked at his rosy cheeks with content.

'I wish I could give you children an out-of-door country life,' he
said; 'that's what you ought to have.'

'Yes,' said True; 'I don't like houses at all. I should like to be a
gipsy!'

'When we grows up, father, we'll come over the sea with you, won't we?
And couldn't we go to the North Pole and skate? Miss Robsart was
telling us yesterday about the poor little fat Eskims--I forgets the
name of them--who're in the dark so much. I should like to see them
and the whales.'

'I should like the hot places best,' said True, 'where you lie in the
sun, and monkeys and parrots swing in the trees above you, and you eat
cocoanuts and dates!'

'Yes,' said Mr. Allonby; 'we'll do some travels together later if we're
spared. But the North Pole would be a big order, Bobby; it has never
been found yet.'

'I espec's God has got hold of it in His hand, and twists the world
round with it,' said Bobby with knitted brows.

His father laughed.

'Finish your lunch, sonny, and we'll be moving; your theories are quite
beyond me.'

So they took to the ice again, and Bobby flew here and there on his
skates, one of the jolliest little figures to be seen.

Later in the afternoon a certain piece of the ice was roped off as
being unsafe. Mr. Allonby warned the children not to go