with ice, too, and the boys illuminated them that night.

Saturday the boys were busier than ever, and they spread broadcast the
announcement of a regular "ice-carnival" for that evening.

After the crowd had gone away on Friday night, a few of the boys
remained and flooded the floor of the castle. This floor was now
smoothly frozen, and the best skaters were invited to come Saturday
night and "show off."

By evening, too, the battlements of the castle had been raised on all
four sides. At each corner was a lighted tower, and in the middle of the
roof a taller pinnacle had been raised with a red, white, and blue star,
in colored electric bulbs, surmounting it.

Milton had never seen such an exhibition before, and a crowd turned
out--many more people than could possibly get into the place at once.
There was music, and the skating was attractive. Visitors were allowed
in the castle, but they were obliged to keep moving, having to walk down
one side of the castle, and up the other, so as to give those behind a
chance to see everything.

The Corner House girls had thought the enchanted castle (for so it
looked to be from their windows at home) a very delightful object. Ruth
and Agnes went up after supper on Saturday evening, with their skates.

Both of them were good skaters and Neale chose Aggie to skate with him
in the carnival. Joe Eldred was glad to get Ruth. Carrie and Lucy Poole
were paired off with two of the big boys, and _they_ were nowhere near
as good skaters as Trix Severn.

Yet Trix was neglected. She had to go alone upon the ice, or skate with
another girl. There was a reason for this neglect that Trix could not
appreciate. Boys do not like to escort a girl who is always "knocking"
some other girl. The boys declared Trix Severn "carried her hammer"
wherever she went and they steered clear of her when they wanted to have
a good time.

Every time Agnes and Neale O'Neil passed Trix Severn upon the ice, she
was made almost ill with envy!

CHAPTER XX

TRIX SEVERN IN PERIL

That cold spell in January was a long one. The young folk of Milton had
plenty of sledding, and some skating. But the snow-ice on Milton Pond
was "hubbly" and not nice to skate on, while there were only a few
patches of smooth ice anywhere in town.

Therefore the boys never failed to flood the interior of the snow castle
each night before they went home. They did this easily by means of a
short piece of fire-hose attached t