Laura Lee Hope

“ As Freddie and Flossie, with Nan and Bert, marched along with the others, Freddie cried out:
"Oh, I hope we see mamma, and then we can wave to her."
"Yes, and maybe she'll come with us," suggested Flossie. "Wouldn't that be nice?"
"Pooh!" exclaimed Bert. "Mamma's too busy to come to a picnic today. She's expecting company."
"Yes," added Nan, "the minister and his wife are coming, and mamma's cooking a lot of things."
"Why, does a minister eat more than other folks?" asked Freddie. "If they does, I'm going to be a minister when I grow up." ”

“ A NIGHT ALARM
"Are you all ready?" called Danny to Bert, looking over at the home-made bob, and there was something like contempt in his tone.
"All ready," answered Bert. "I'll start as soon as you give the word."
"We ought to have someone to shove us off," suggested Danny. "It won't be fair if one or the other gets a head-start."
"Hi! He's afraid already!" cried Charley Mason. "He knows we're going to beat!"
"I am not!" retorted Danny. "It will be a walk-over for me once I start. But I don't want Bert Bobbsey saying I took advantage of him, after the race is over." ”

“ Then, to the surprise of all, Snoop rubbed against the legs of the dog, and, on his part, Snap, wagging his tail in friendly, welcoming fashion, put out his red tongue and licked Snoop's fur.
"He's kissing Snoop! He's kissing Snoop!" cried Freddie.
"Yes, they love each other!" exclaimed Flossie. "They are not going to fight! Oh, how glad I am!" and she danced in delight.
"Oh, if only we can keep Snap now," said Nan, while Mrs. Bobbsey, satisfied that the two animals would be friends, had opened the other express box. It contained the twins' silver cup, so long missing. ”

“ Nothing more was heard of the smoking matter for several days, and it was about forgotten, when something else came to claim the attention of the Bobbsey twins and their friends.
It was toward the close of school one afternoon, when all the pupils were wishing the hands of the clock would point to letting-out time, that Nan, looking from the window, and away from her arithmetic book, saw a few white flakes of snow sifting lazily down. At once she was all attention, and her lesson was forgotten.
"Oh!" she thought, "it's snowing! And it looks as if it would be a big storm! Oh, I'm so glad!" ”

“ It always seems to be telling me something, Winter or Summer."
"I love it in the Summer," said Nan, "but in the Winter it seems so cold and cruel."
"That is because you do not know it as well as I do," said Dorothy.
Hal, Harry, and Bert had fine times together. There was no skating, and the little flurry of snow there had been was not enough for coasting, but they had other fun. ”

“ On her way back to her room, to see if she could arrange to sit with Grace and Nellie at one of the new big desks, Nan saw her brother Bert. He looked a little worried, and Nan asked at once:
"What is the matter, Bert? Haven't you got a nice teacher?"
"Oh, yes, she's fine!" exclaimed Bert. "There's nothing the matter at all."
"Yes there is," insisted Nan. "I can tell by your face. It's that Danny Rugg; I'm sure. Oh, Bert, is he bothering you again?" ”

“ Bert laughed as he looked out of the window and saw it.
"There'll be coasting now all right!" he cried, as he saw the big stretch of white over the fields and on the hills. "We can have bob sled races, too."
"Can't we come?" asked Flossie.
"We like sled rides," added Freddie.
"You may come part of the time," answered Bert. "But big sleds aren't for little folks like you."
Not far from the Bobbsey home was a long hill that was most excellent for coasting. It was on this that Charley and Bert had decided to test their new sled on a long stretch. ”

“ Some of the big, flaring lights, used in the tents at night, had been set going so the circus and railroad men could see to work, and this glare gave the Bobbseys and other passengers on the train a chance to see what was going on.
"There's a big elephant!" cried Freddie. "See him push the lion's cage around. Elephants are awful strong!"
"They couldn't push a railroad train," said Flossie.
"They could too!" cried her little brother, quickly.
"They could not. Could they, papa?"
"What?" asked Mr. Bobbsey, absentmindedly.
"Could an elephant push a railroad train?" asked Flossie. ”

“ The dog must have escaped from the wrecked circus train, and he followed us, not knowing what else to do. That accounts for his tricks."
"But we can keep him; can't we?" begged Flossie.
"Hum! I'll have to see about that," said Mr. Bobbsey slowly. "I suppose the circus people will want him back, for he must be valuable. Perhaps some clown trained him."
"But if we can't have Snoop, our cat, we ought to have a dog," asserted Freddie.
"I'll try to get Snoop back," said Mr. Bobbsey. "I'll have one of my men go down to the place where the wreck was, today, and inquire of the railroad men. ”

“ Another engine dashed by the Bobbsey house, and the ringing of the alarm bell increased. The voices and footsteps of many persons, as they rushed on to the blaze, could also be heard, and there resounded the cry of:
"Fire! Fire! Fire!"
Bert, who had been aroused with the others of the household, was dressing in his room. He felt that his father would let him go to the fire. ”

“ The fat lady has our cat as well as our cup! Oh, papa, make her give back our Snoop!"
Mr. Bobbsey laughed.
"You see how it is," he said. "She has our cat, and we have their dog. We'll have to give up our dog to get our cat."
The Bobbsey twins had not thought of this before. They looked strangely at one another.
"Papa!" cried Freddie, jumping up and down in his excitement, "can't we keep both—the circus dog and our cat? Oh, do please, let us."
"But maybe Snap would fight Snoop," said Flossie. "We wouldn't want that." ”

“ Bobbsey came running down the aisle to where Flossie and Freddie still sat, dazed.
"Are you hurt?" he cried, picking them both up together, which was rather hard to do.
"No—no," said Freddie slowly.
"Oh, papa, what is it?" asked Flossie, wondering whether she was going to cry.
"I don't know, my dear. Nothing serious, I guess. The engineer must have put the brakes on too quickly. I'll look out and see."
Knowing that his children were safe, Mr. Bobbsey put them down and led them back to where his wife was anxiously waiting.
"They're all right," he called. "No one seems to be hurt." ”

“ Folks always give their best to the minister."
"Then I'm surely going to be one, too," declared Flossie. "I like good things to eat. I hope our minister isn't very hungry, 'cause then there'll be some left for us when we come home from this picnic."
"Why, Flossie!" cried Nan. "We have a lovely lunch with us; plenty, I'm sure."
"Well, I'm awful hungry, Nan," said the little girl. "Besides, Sammie Jones, and his sister Julia, haven't any lunch at all. I saw them, and they looked terrible hungry. Couldn't we give them some of ours; if we have so much at home?" ”

“ He's bringing it to us!"
"Oh, he mustn't do that!" shouted Nan. "It may bite him or us."
"Run! Run faster!" shrieked Grace.
But even though it was down hill the children could not run as fast as Snap, and he soon caught up to them. Running on a little way ahead he dropped the black thing. But instead of wiggling or trying to bite, it was very still.
"It—it's dead," said Nan. "Snap has killed it."
Freddie was braver now. He went closer.
"Why—why!" he exclaimed. "It isn't a snake at all! It's only an old black root of a tree, all twisted up like a snake! Look, Nan—Flossie!" ”

“ Down it could be seen the headlight of an approaching trolley, and also the twin lamps of an oncoming automobile.
"Look out for the auto, children!" cried Mrs. Bobbsey.
They stood at the side of the road, and as the auto came up the man in it slowed down his machine. It was a big car and he was alone in it.
"Well, I declare!" exclaimed the autoist, as his engine stopped. "If it isn't the Bobbsey family—twins and all! What are you doing here, Mr. Bobbsey?"
"Why, it's Mr. Blake!" exclaimed Mr. Bobbsey, seeing that the autoist was a neighbor, and a business friend of his. ”

“ But Flossie and Freddie, and Nan and Bert, helped the guests to find their proper places and soon everyone was in his or her chair.
"Can't Snap sit with us, too?" asked Freddie, looking about for his pet, who had done all his tricks well that evening.
"No, dear," said Mrs. Bobbsey. "Snap is a good dog, but we don't want him in the dining room when we are eating. It gives him bad habits."
"Then can't I send him out some cakes?" asked Flossie, for Snap had almost as large a "sweet tooth" as the children themselves. ”

“ Rugg he saw his son Danny, and a number of boys, hiding there, and the smell of cigarette smoke was very strong.
"Danny!" exclaimed his father sternly, "what does this mean?"
"We—were—playing!" stammered Danny. "Playing hide and seek."
"And to play that is it necessary to smoke?" Mr. Rugg asked sharply.
"We—we aren't smoking," answered Danny.
"Not now, but you have been. I can smell it plainly. Go into the house, Danny, and these other boys must go home. If find them smoking in my barn again I shall punish them. You might have set it on fire." ”

“ Flashing his light, Bert dashed ahead, followed by the others. Into the big barn they went, and, just as they entered the main part, they had a glimpse of someone running out of a side door.
"There they go!" cried Charley. "We can catch 'em!"
"No, let 'em go," advised Bert. "Here's our ice cream. Let's see if there's any left. If there is we'll take it back to the party. We might get into trouble if we went after those fellows."
By the gleam of the electric light they could all see the freezer of cream in the middle of the barn floor, near some upturned boxes. ”

“ I want to be fair, too."
"Hey, Bert!" called a shrill voice, as the elder Bobbsey lad was looking about for some on the hill to whom he might appeal. "Can't I ride down with you, Bert?"
It was Freddie who called, and he came running up, anxious to take part in the exciting race.
"No, Freddie, not this time," explained Bert kindly. "I want only large boys with me in the race. I'll give you a ride afterward."
"After I beat him, he means," sneered Danny.
"Come on, let's race if we're going to," called some of the boys on Danny's sled.
"Yes; don't stay here all day." ”

“ CHAPTER IV HOME IN AN AUTO Down on his four legs dropped the big white dog, and with another wag of his fluffy tail he came straight for Flossie.
"Be careful!" warned Mamma Bobbsey.
"He won't hurt her!" declared Bert. "That's a good dog, anyone can tell that. Here, doggie; come here!" he called.
But the dog still advanced toward Flossie, who shrank back a bit timidly.
"You never can tell what dogs will do," said Mrs. Bobbsey. "It is best to be careful."
"I guess he knew what Flossie said to him," spoke up Freddie. "He knows we like dogs." ”

“ It was a hard question for a mother to answer. No mother likes to think her son a coward, and that was what the boys would have called Bert had he not stood up to Danny.
"I—I just had to!" continued Bert "And I beat him, anyhow, mother."
Mrs. Bobbsey cried a little, and then she made the best of it, and bathed Bert's cut lip and bruised forehead. She told his father about it, too, and Mr. Bobbsey, after hearing the account, asked:
"Who won?"
"Well, Bert says he did?"
"Um. Well, I've no doubt but what he did. He's getting quite strong."
"Oh, Richard!" exclaimed Mrs. Bobbsey, in dismay. ”

“ One day a letter came, saying that the silver cup had been sent, and also Snoop, the cat.
"But what about Snap, papa?" asked Nan.
"Does she say the circus will sell him?"
"No, the man who owns him is away for a few days. When he comes back he will let me know. But, anyhow, you will have your cup and cat back."
"But we want Snap, too!" said Flossie.
Several more days passed. They lengthened into a week, and still no news came from where the circus was: All the Bobbsey twins could hope was that their cat and cup were on the way, and that the man who owned Snap would consent to sell him. ”

“ I'm not afraid of you," sneered Danny, but he let the club drop, and walked off with his own particular chums.
"Did Mr. Tetlow say Snap could come?" asked Freddie, anxiously.
"Yes. He said he'd be good to drive away the cows if they bothered us," answered Bert, with a smile.
After this little trouble, the Bobbseys and their friends went on toward the grove in the woods where the picnic was to be held. There was laughing and shouting, and much fun on the way, in which Snap shared.
Boys and girls would run to one side or the other of the path to gather late flowers. ”

“ The Bobbseys were well provided and soon Sammie and Julia were smiling and happy as they sat beneath a tree, eating.
Then came all sorts of games, from tag and jumping rope, to blindman's bluff and hide-and-seek. Snap was made to do a number of tricks, much to the amusement of the teachers and children. Danny Rugg, and some of the older boys, got up a small baseball game, and then Danny, with one or two chums, went off in a deeper part of the woods. Bert heard one of the boys ask another if he had any matches.
"I know what they're going to do," whispered Bert to Nan. ”

“ As they approached the big, deserted barn Frank Black exclaimed in a whisper:
"I see a light!"
"So do I!" added Will Evans.
"And it's moving around," spoke Charley Mason.
"It's them, all right," decided Bert. "The tramps who took our ice cream are in there, all right!"
"What makes you think they are tramps?" asked Will.
"Well, I'm not sure, of course," admitted Bert. "But we can soon tell. Come on!"
"Are you—are you going up there?" asked Charley.
"Sure! Why not? I think we can scare em away." ”

“ Flossie and Freddie both ran back and took hold of their mother's hands.
"Don't scare the children, Bert," said Mr. Bobbsey, a bit sternly. "Did you really hear something?"
"Yes, father. It's some animal walking behind us. Listen and you can hear it your self."
They all listened. It was very quiet. Then from down the hard dirt path they all heard the "pitpat, pitpat" of the footsteps of some animal. It was coming on slowly.
For a moment Mr. Bobbsey thought of the wild animals of the circus. In spite of what the men had said perhaps one of the beasts might have escaped from its cage. ”

“ It was after school, following the first snow, and the hill was just right for coasting.
"Come on! Come on!" cried a number of boys and girls, as they heard what went on between Danny and Bert. "There's going to be a race on the big hill between the big bobs."
There was much excitement. The sleds were the two largest owned by anyone in the neighborhood, and both were fine ones. Danny had bought his, but Bert and Charley had made theirs, and so, though it was not so fancy, it was stronger. Most eyes were on Danny's sled, for it was painted in bright colors, and brightly varnished. ”