as if they did, just a little, but she was not quite

sure.

"I have brought my canary to visit you," said Janet, showing the small wooden cage that she held in her hand. The children crowded close around her, and at that very moment the canary began to sing, sweet and clear, a perfect gush of melody. At the sound, there came hopping from the shrubbery and from all parts of the garden, the funny, little, fat snow-birds, who did not know what music meant. Janet hung the cage on a tree, and the snow-birds stood beneath in rows like little scholars, listening. Pretty soon there was a peeping and a chirruping among them.

"They'll learn to sing now!" said Janet, much pleased.

But while the children all stood around, watching, there was a sudden gust of wind that blew some of the snow-leaves to the ground, and it must have blown the gate open too, for there was immediately the sound of something rushing, and a wild, fierce growl which made the children flee at once.

"The were-wolves! the were-wolves!" they screamed, bursting open the playroom door, and running inside. They all succeeded in getting safely into the room, except that Polo, who was

last, had a piece of his fur coat torn off by one of the savage white beasts.

66

They cannot touch us now!" said the snowchildren, when the door was shut tight.

"I think I will take little Meemee and Henjee home," said Brenda, and although the Kanter girls begged her to stay as long as they did, she was firm, and leading the small Fur-children, who clung to her for protection, she departed, the heavy snowdoors closing softly behind her as she went. But Polo staid, he meant to see all that Janet and Prue

saw.

So

"Let's play hide-and-seek!" proposed Janet, wishing to bring back a cheerful state of things. they began a game which soon grew very merry. It was presently the turn of the Kanter girls, Polo, and the child Lily to hide, and the rest of the snowchildren ran into the dining-room to wait for the call. Polo had a place already in his mind, and he It was in the bed-room.

at once hastened to it.

"Can you take us somewhere that we have never been before?" asked Janet, coaxingly, as she took little Lily's white hand in hers.

The snow-child hesitated a moment, and then said,

"Yes, follow close behind me!"

L

XXV

-Bryant.

ILY raised a soft, snowy curtain, which Janet and Prue had not seen before, and disclosed a little narrow door, like a panel in the wall, which she opened. The three slipped through quickly, the door closed fast behind them, and the Kanter girls stood for a moment bewildered. A great sense of space smote upon them, and the air seemed colder than before, and the light dimmer.

Come quick," said the snow-child, "we must hide!"

And she led them swiftly over the icy floor to a