ess. "I think it is that hard boiled egg I ate. And it
doesn't exactly burn."

Nan went off in a gale of laughter at this, and stage-struck Bess chimed
in. "I don't care," the latter repeated, the last thing before they
climbed into their respective berths, "it must be oodles of fun to work
for the movies."

While the chums slept there were great doings outside the snow-bound
train. The crew turned out with shovels, farmers in the neighborhood
helped, and part of a lately arrived section gang joined in to shovel the
snow away from the stalled engine and train.

Cordwood had been bought of Peleg Morton and hauled over to the
locomotive for fuel. With this the engineer and fireman managed to make
sufficient steam to heat the Pullman coach and the smoking car. Nan and
Bess had brought little "Buster," as the spaniel had been named, into
their section and, having been fed and made warm, he gave the girls
hardly any trouble during the night.

Selfish Mr. Bulson, who had shipped the puppy home to his little boy,
seemed to have no interest whatsoever in Buster's welfare.

It was not until the great snow-plow and a special locomotive appeared
the next morning, and towed the stalled train on to its destination, and
Nan Sherwood and her chum arrived at Tillbury, that Nan learned anything
more regarding Mr. Ravell Bulson.

Mr. and Mrs. Sherwood had been more than a little worried by Nan's delay
in getting home and Mr. Sherwood was at the station to meet the train
when it finally steamed into Tillbury.

Owneyville, which the girls knew to be Mr. Bulson's home town, was a
station beyond Tillbury, and a much smaller town. The fat man had to
change cars, so it was not surprising that he stepped down upon the
Tillbury platform just as Nan ran into her father's arms.

"Oh, Papa Sherwood!" Nan almost sobbed.

"My dear Nancy!" he returned, quite as much moved.

And just then Mr. Bulson appeared beside them. "Well, Sherwood!" the fat
man growled, "have you come to your senses yet?"

Robert Sherwood's face flushed and he urged Nan away along the snowy
platform. "I don't care to talk to you, Bulson," he said shortly.

"Well, you _will_ talk to me!" exclaimed the angry fat man. "I'll get you
into court where you'll have to talk."

Mr. Sherwood kept right on with Nan and Bulson was left fuming and
muttering on the platform. Bess had already been put into the family
sleigh and was being whisked home. Nan and her father tramped br