“Oh, you mustn’t think of trying to get back to-night!” cried the doctor’s wife, quickly. “There are plenty of vacant rooms here, and I’ll see to it that my cousin gives you good accommodations.”
“And will you look after the young ladies, Mrs. Renwick?” questioned Dave.
“I certainly will, Dave,” she answered graciously. “Don’t let that worry you in the least. I’ll be glad to take charge of such a nice family,” and she smiled sweetly at all the girls.
“We are going to telephone to Crumville and let the folks know how matters stand,” announced 111 Ben; and then he and Dave hurried to where there was a telephone booth.
Here, however, they met with no success so far as getting into communication with their folks at Crumville was concerned. It took a long time to get Central, and then it was announced that the storm had taken down all the wires running to Crumville and beyond. One wire that was down was still connected, but, try their best, neither of the boys was able to understand anything of what was said over it. Then this line snapped; and that ended all efforts to send any messages.
“I wish they knew we were safe,” said Dave. “Now that they don’t know it they may worry, thinking we are snowed in somewhere along the road.”
“Well, we’ve got to make the best of it,” answered Ben. “I did hope to speak to mother, to ask her how father was, and to let her know that we were all right.”
“It looks to me, Ben, as if this blizzard might last for several days or a week.”
“So it does. But sometimes these storms clear away almost as rapidly as they come.”
The two youths returned to the others and announced the failure of their effort to get into communication with Crumville. This was disheartening to Laura and Jessie, but as it could not be 112 helped the girls said they would make the best of it. Then Laura and Dave went off with the doctor and his wife, to obtain accommodations for the whole party.