I don't see----" Agnes began, when Neale exclaimed:

"Wait. Joe's stopped them."

Eldred had interfered when Trix and her escort started into the snow
castle. The Corner House girls and Neale drew near.

"I don't care!" Trix was saying in her loud voice. "I'm going to skate.
Oh! don't bother to tell me it isn't safe, Joe Eldred. You just want to
keep me off the ice."

She was already sitting on a rough bench that had been drawn there by
the boys, and Wilbur was putting on her skates.

"You always do know it all, Trix," Joe said, sharply, "but I advise you
to go slow----"

The obstinate girl stood up as Wilbur finished with the last strap. She
laughed in Joe's face.

"You make me tired, Joe Eldred," she observed, and without waiting for
further parley she shot away into the otherwise empty castle.

"Oh! why didn't you stop her?" cried Ruth, anxiously.

"I'd like to see anybody stop _that_ girl," growled Joe.

"She's as reckless as she can be," said Neale.

"Aw, say!" exclaimed Wib, as they called young Ketchell, "is the roof
really unsafe?"

"We don't know," Neale said, in a worried tone. Then suddenly there was
a sharp crack from inside the snow castle.

"Crickey! it's coming down!" exclaimed Wilbur.

"What _was_ that, Neale?" demanded Joe Eldred.

"That pillar's gone!" exclaimed Neale O'Neil, pointing to one of the
wooden supports by which the roof of planks and snow was partly upheld.

On the tail of his declaration there was another crash and a second
support, farther down the hall, was splintered.

"The roof's coming down, Trix! Come back! come back!" shrieked Agnes.

Trix was at the far end. She had turned swiftly and they could see her
face. The wooden supports giving way between her and the exit frightened
the reckless girl immeasurably.

"Come back, Trix!" Ruth added her cry to her sister's.

The electric lights began to quiver. The whole mass of the roof must be
sagging down. Ketchell kicked off his skates and picked them up,
preparatory to getting out of the way.

And perhaps it was just as well that he had showed no heroism. Had he
skated in for the girl, he could not have aided her in any way.

Trix started for the front of the snow castle. They saw her stoop
forward and put on speed, and then--in a flash--the middle of the roof
settled and crashed to the floor--and the sound of the wreck almost
deafened the onlookers!

CHAPTER XXI

A BACKYARD CIRCUS

They said afterw