"I'd rather have her learn to pick up her things and put them properly away," said Ruth, who was trying to find her own out-door clothing on the back hall rack. "My goodness! everything I put my hand on belongs to Agnes."
"That's because I'm rich," returned Agnes cheerfully. "For once in my life I have a multitude of clothes," and she 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.
"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?"