started off, cheerfully
whistling and swinging her skates. Ruth had almost to run to catch up
with her before she struck across into the Parade.

The weather had moderated that day, and at noon the gutters were flooded
and the paths ran full streams. The boys, however, had pronounced the
ice in the snow castle to be in fine shape.

"Perhaps this will be the last night we can skate there," Ruth said as
they tramped along the Parade walk, side by side.

"Oh, I hope not!" cried Agnes.

"But Neale says the weight of the towers and the roof of the castle will
maybe make the walls slump right down there, if it begins to thaw."

"Oh! I don't believe it," said Agnes, who did not _want_ to believe it.
"It looks just as strong!"

They could see the gaily illuminated snow castle through the branches of
the leafless trees. The fiery star above it and the lights below shining
through the ice-windows, made it very brilliant indeed.

"Well," Ruth said, with a sigh, "if the boys say it isn't safe, we
mustn't go in to-night, Agnes."

There were only a few young folk already assembled about the castle when
the Corner House girls arrived. A man in a blue uniform with silver
buttons, had just come out of the castle with Joe Eldred and Neale
O'Neil.

"I don't know whether it's safe, or not," the fireman was saying. "Give
me a frame building, and I can tell all right and proper. But I never
ran to a fire in a snowhouse, and I don't know much about them--that's a
fact," and he laughed.

Neale looked serious when he walked over to the two Corner House girls.

"What's the matter, Sir Lachrymose?" demanded Agnes, gaily.

"I believe the further wall of this snowhouse has slumped," he said.
"Maybe there is no danger, but I don't know."

"Oh, nobody will go in, of course," Ruth cried.

"Sure they will, Ruth. Don't be a goose," said Agnes, sharply.

"_I_ certainly will not," her sister said. "It was real warm this noon
and maybe the house is just tottering. Isn't that so, Neale?"

"I don't know," said the boy. "Wish I did."

"Let's go in and find out," said Agnes, the reckless.

"Wait," drawled Neale. "I'd rather find out, out here than in
there--especially if the thing is coming down."

"There goes Trix Severn--and Wilbur Ketchell," said Agnes, rather
crossly. "They're going to risk it."

"Let them go, Aggie," said Neale. "I'm not going into that place until
I'm sure."

"Nor am I," Ruth announced, with emphasis.

"Well,