ps were heaped with snow. A great mass of the
snow was dislodged by the movement of the door and fell in clouds
over Towsley's big hat and fine costume; also the tight shoes upon his
feet seemed to make him stumble and stagger sadly; but he was not to
be deterred by such trifles as these. The cold breath of the wind was
delightful to him, the rush of outer air meant freedom.

All the delightful interests of his vagabond life rose up to beguile
him; all its miseries were forgotten. He must get to the office right
away. This was a blizzard, sure enough! and that meant "extras" to
cry, sidewalks to shovel, a mad haste to get ahead of his mates and
gather in more nickels than they, maybe stolen rides behind livery
sleighs when the storm was over, and a thousand and one enjoyable
things such as poor Miss Armacost could never even dream of!

"Hi! Here's for it!" shouted the happy boy, and leaped forward into
the night and the storm, which silently received him.

CHAPTER III.

THE BLIZZARD.

"Whew! I've never seen such a storm since I lived in Baltimore city!"
cried John Johns, looking out of the window, early on the morning
following Molly's visit to Miss Armacost. "It snows as if it never
meant to stop. How still it is, too! Not a car running, not a wagon
rattling over the stones, everything as quiet as a country graveyard."

"Not quite, John. There's a milk cart trying to force itself through
the drifts. My! look into the alley between us and Miss Armacost's!
The snow is heaped as high as the fence, in some spots."

"Well, I'm glad I'm a plumber! There'll be plenty of work for me and
my kind to-day. We're not used to anything of this sort down here, and
nobody'll think to look out for his water pipes. Just listen to that
wind, will you?"

"I'd rather not. It makes me think of poor folks without coals, and
babies without their milk, and lots of suffering."

"Not so much, wife. Not so much. The coal wagons will be the first
astir, and they'll break the roads nicely with their heavy wheels. The
bakers and butchers and milkmen will follow mighty soon. The boys that
want a bit of money for Christmas will all be out with any sort of
broom, or shovel, or even a stick, they can pick up. It'll give work
for idle men, clearing the streets, and the liverymen will make a lot
of money as soon as it settles a little. Oh! a rousing snow-storm is a
good thing once in a while."

"I declare, John, you are the cheerfullest