asked the little fellow.

"Yes, all melt into water. He has to stay out where it's cold. Play with
him out here, Trouble."

So Trouble did, making a lot of snowballs which he piled around the feet
of his man, so that they might be ready in case the snow man himself
wanted to throw them.

Then Teddy and Janet went coasting just before supper, coming home with
red cheeks and sparkling eyes, for it was cold and they had played hard.

"Well, Trouble, is the snow man all right?" asked Ted, as he and Jan sat
down to supper a little later.

[Illustration: HE WAS ALTOGETHER A VERY STYLISH SNOW MAN. _Page 82_]

"Iss. Big snow man in yard," answered Baby William.

"He'll take care of your little snow man all night," added Janet. "Then
your little snow man won't be afraid to stay out in the dark, Trouble."

"Trouble's snow man not be in dark," was the answer. "He gone bed.
Trouble's snow man gone bed."

"What does he mean?" asked Ted.

"Oh, I presume he's just pretending that he put his snow man to bed in a
drift of snow," said Mrs. Martin. "The poor child is so sleepy from
having played out all the afternoon that he can't keep his eyes open.
I'll put you to bed right after supper, Trouble."

"Trouble go to bed--snow man go to bed," murmured Baby William. He was
very sleepy, so much so that his head nodded even while he was eating
the last of his bread and milk. And then his mother carried him off to
his room.

Ted and Janet sat up a little later to talk to their father, as they
generally did.

"Did you hear any more from Grandpa Martin?" asked Ted, after he had
finished studying his school lesson for the next day.

"What about?" asked Mr. Martin.

"About the big snowstorm that's coming."

"Oh, you mean about what the hermit said," laughed his father. "No, we
haven't had any more letters from grandpa."

"But we will have enough to eat even if we are snowed in, won't we?" Jan
queried.

"Oh, yes, I guess so," answered Daddy Martin. "Don't worry about that."

"Can those hermits really tell when there's going to be a big storm with
lots of snow?" asked Ted.

"Well, sometimes," admitted Mr. Martin. "Men who live in the woods or
mountains all their lives know more about the weather than those of us
who live in houses in towns or cities most of the time. Sometimes the
hermits and woodsmen can tell by the way the squirrels and other animals
act and store away food, whether or not it is going to be a hard winter.