“It would be hard,” agreed Bert. “But maybe everything will be all right. Now I’ll take Flossie and Freddie out for a while. It will make them sleep better to-night to have some fresh air.”
He and the small twins had some jolly fun in the snow. Well wrapped up and with rubber boots which kept their feet and legs dry, Flossie and Freddie raced about, made snowballs and tossed them to and fro, and even began to make a snow man.
But it was so cold that the snow did not pack well, or stick together. Snow must be a trifle wet to roll big balls or build snow forts and construct snow men to guard them.
However, Flossie and Freddie had lots of fun, and Bert was a good brother. He let them throw snowballs at him, though it must be said that Flossie and Freddie did not hit him often, for they could not throw very straight. And when they did hit Bert the balls did not hurt.
Then Bert pretended he was a horse and raced about with them through the drifts until the merry laughs of Flossie and Freddie could be heard by Nan who was taking Mrs. Pry up some more tea, toast, and preserves.
“Well, I’m glad they’re having a good time,” sighed Nan. “They’ll be easier to manage after they’ve had some fun.”
Poor Nan was not having much fun herself. But she was a brave girl, and she knew she and Bert must keep house until mother and daddy returned, or at least until Sam or Dinah got back.
No word had been received from either of the faithful colored servants since they had gone. But this would not have been surprising, even if the mail trains had been running since neither of them knew much about writing letters.
Panting and laughing, with rosy-red cheeks, Flossie and Freddie came into the house with Bert, stamping and brushing the snow off their feet on the side porch, from which Bert had shoveled most of the big drift.
“Oh, we had lots of fun!” panted Freddie.