Christmas had come and gone, bringing much happiness, and it was
because they had discovered some of Miss Pompret's missing china in a
very strange way that the Bobbsey twins had a much nicer Christmas
than usual.

After the holidays winter set in hard and fast, but of course it could
not last forever, and there were some who said this snow storm, which
gave the Bobbsey twins such a fine chance to have fun, would be the
last of the season.

It was, as I have told you, while Bert, Nan, Flossie, and Freddie were
making a snow house and a snow man that they had heard the loud crash
and Charley Mason had called out about the wreck.

"Has there really been an accident?" asked Mrs. Bobbsey, when the talk
had somewhat quieted down.

"Oh, yes'm!" exclaimed Charley. "From my house up on the hill I can
look right down into the railroad cut. I was out feeding my dog, and I
heard the noise and I looked and I saw the two engines all smashed
together and cars off the track and a lot of people running around
and--and--everything!"

Charley had to stop to catch his breath.

Mrs. Bobbsey looked down the street and saw a number of men and women
and some girls and boys hurrying to the railroad tracks.

"We want to go to see it!" begged Bert.