elieve it is Cousin Ben. He has a basket and
see how he has taken to the road where Mr. Snyder's sleigh went along."
She watched for a few minutes longer. "It is Cousin Ben," she cried
joyfully. "He is coming here. Light the lamp, Nettie, while I go let him
in."

She hurried to the door to see Ben stamping off the snow from his feet.
"Whewee!" he exclaimed, "but isn't this a sockdolager? I never saw such
a storm? How are you Ande, my honey. Of all things to think of your
being this near home and none of us knowing it."

"Then mother did think I was still at Uncle Justus's," said Edna.

"Just what she did. You rung a surprise on the whole of us, I can tell
you."

He came in and set down the basket, took off his cap and overcoat and
looked down at the two little girls with a smile.

"This is Nettie Black," Edna told him. "She has been so nice to me, and
I don't know what would have happened if I had not been able to get to
her house."

"Don't speak of it," returned Ben with a little frown and a shake of his
head. "I'll sit down and warm myself and then you can tell me how this
all happened."

He drew up to the fire, took Edna on his knee and she poured forth her
tale. "Pretty tough," he said when she had completed her story. "I'm
glad your mother didn't know you had started. Now, Miss Nettie if you
will let me sleep on that big sofa I am going to stay right here till we
can dig you out and your mother comes. There's a lot of provender in
that basket and we'll be as jolly as they make 'em."

"Oh, but you can sleep upstairs," returned Nettie. "There is plenty of
room."

"Good! Then upstairs be it. What was that about hens and eggs and
things, Ande?"

"Oh, we can't get out to the hen-house, you know. We tried to make a
path but it was too hard work for us so we gave it up."

"I should remark. Well, that will be done first thing in the morning,
and I'll go see what I can find. Eggsactly, as it were. What about the
fires? Any coal up here?"

"A little," Nettie told him. "We have carried up all we could at a time,
but we couldn't bring enough for the fires to-night. We are going down
to get more."

"You are going to do no such thing. Got a candle? Where are the coal
scuttles? One of you hold the light and show me your coal bin and up
comes your coal." Cousin Ben was already making for the cellar door.

Of course no one was going to be left out of this expedition and all
three descended to the cellar, from whi