Page:Ned Wilding's Disappearance.djvu/42

32 the heavy load toward the spot where the building had been noticed.

They did not see it again until they were within ten feet of it, and then made out a lonely cabin in the midst of a clearing in the woods. The snow was half way up to the first floor window sills.

"There's some one inside!" shouted Bart, as he saw smoke curling from the chimney. "Knock on the door! I'm half frozen!"

But there was no need to knock. The door was opened and a little girl peered out.

"Can we come in and get warm?" asked Ned. "We're lost in the storm."

"Who is it?" asked a woman's voice, as she came to the door.

"We were camping out," explained Bart, "and the storm caught us as we were about to go home. We live in Darewell."

"Come in!" the woman exclaimed. "Our cabin is poor enough but it is better than the woods in such a storm. I'm sorry we can't offer you anything to eat, but we have only a little for ourselves and there's no telling when we'll get more."

"And to-morrow's Thanksgiving," murmured Ned in a low voice.

The boys stamped the snow from their feet and entered the cabin. There were two rooms