that
happened.

"Run away with!" exclaimed his father. "I thought they didn't allow any
horses or automobiles on the coasting hill."

"They don't," Ted answered. "My sled ran away with me, but I steered it
into a snow bank and upset," and he told of what had happened.

"You must be very careful," said his father, when Ted had finished.
"Coasting is fun, but if everyone is not careful you may get hurt, and
we wouldn't like that."

It was still snowing hard when Ted and Jan went to bed, and it was with
eager faces that they looked out into the night.

"Do you s'pose we'll be snowed in?" asked Jan.

"I hope so--that is, if we have enough to eat," answered Ted. "That's
what grandpa said to do--buy lots to eat, 'cause the hermit said it was
going to be an awful bad winter."

"Did you ever see a hermit, Ted?"

"No. Did you?"

"No. But I'd like to, wouldn't you?"

"Yes, I would, Jan."

"Maybe I'll be a hermit some day," went on the little girl, after she
had gotten into bed, her room being across the hall from Ted's.

"Huh! You can't be a hermit."

"I can so!"

"You can not!"

"Why?"

"'Cause hermits is only men. I'll be the hermit!"

"Well, couldn't I live with you--wherever you live?"

"Maybe I might live in a dark cave. Lots of hermits do."

"I wouldn't be afraid in the dark if you were there, Teddy."

"All right. Maybe I'd let you live with me."

"Does a hermit like snowstorms, Teddy?"

"Children, you must be quiet and go to sleep!" called Mrs. Martin from
downstairs. "Don't talk any more."

Ted and Janet were quiet for a little while, and then Janet called in a
loud whisper:

"Teddy, when you're a hermit will you have to eat?"

"I guess so, Jan. Everybody has to eat."

"Children!" warned Mrs. Martin again, and then Jan and Ted became quiet
for the rest of the night.

It was very cold when the children awoke in the morning, and as soon as
they were up they ran to the windows to look out. It had stopped snowing
and the air was clear and bright with sunshine.

"We didn't get snowed in," called Janet, in some disappointment.

"No," answered Ted. "But it's so cold I guess the pond is frozen and we
can go skating."

"Oh, that'll be fun!" cried Jan. "Will you help me skate, Ted? 'Cause I
can't do it very well yet." She had just learned the winter before.

"I'll help you," her brother promised.

There was a pond not far from the Martin home, and it was so shallow
that it froze more qui