ut it was something nice, and soon you will know
all about it.

CHAPTER X

CUTTING THE ICE

Hal and Mab Blake were awake very early the next morning. Mab jumped
out of bed first and ran to the window.

"Is it raining?" asked Hal, from his room. He put one foot out from
under the covers to see how cold it was--I mean he wanted to see how
cold the air in his room was--not how cold his foot was; for that was
warm, from having been asleep in bed with him all night.

"No, it isn't raining," said Mab, "but it looks as if it might snow."

"I hope it doesn't snow until we have our pic-nic on the ice,"
exclaimed Hal, as he jumped out of bed, and began to dress.

Mamma Blake was very busy cooking breakfast, and so was Aunt Lolly.
They had to get the meal and also put up the lunch for the printer
pic-nic. A large basket was packed full of good things to eat. I just
wish I had some of them now, I'm so hungry!

"Well, are you all ready?" asked Mr. Blake of the children, after
breakfast.

"I am, Daddy," answered Hal, pulling on his red mittens, and swinging
his skates by a strap over his shoulder. "I'm all ready."

"And so am I," replied Mab, as she tied her cap strings under her
chin, so it would not blow away--I mean so the cap would not blow
away, not Mab's chin; for that was made fast to her face, you see, and
couldn't blow off, no matter how much wind whistled down the chimney.

"Well, then we'll start," said Daddy Blake. Just then there came a
ring at the front door bell, and into the hall tramped Charlie and
Mary Johnson, who lived next door to the Blake family. The visitors
were warmly dressed, and Charlie had two pairs of skates slung over
his shoulder by the straps.

"Oh, we're going on a pic-nic, Mary!" cried Mab, thinking perhaps her
little girl friend had come to ask her to go skating.

"So are we!" exclaimed Charlie, and he smiled at Daddy Blake, who
laughed heartily.

"Oh, how funny!" cried Hal. "Are you going to where we are going, I
wonder?"

The Johnson children looked at Mr. Blake and giggled.

"Yes," he answered with a smile, "they are going to the same place we
are, Hal and Mab. I invited them to go with us, as I thought you would
like company. And I guess mamma put up lunch enough for all of us;
didn't you?" he asked, turning toward his wife.

"Indeed I did!" cried Mamma Blake. "There's a fine lunch."

"Oh, how lovely of you to come with us!" cried Mab, as she put her
arms around