Laura Lee Hope

“ Bobbsey. “You know you didn’t do it. We know you didn’t do it, and so do your friends. The others don’t matter. And in time it will be found out who really smashed the glass.”
“But if you and mother are going away and leave us here all alone, it won’t be any fun,” said Bert.
“Oh, I think it will!” cried Nan. “We can keep house by ourselves. I love to cook and wash the dishes.”
“You won’t be alone,” Mrs. Bobbsey said. “Dinah will be here to cook and look after you. Sam will shovel the snow, if any more falls, and he’ll look after the fires. You’ll be all right with Sam and Dinah.” ”

“ So Sam had cleaned out the kennel and put it back of the garage.
“I know how we can have lots of fun, Flossie,” said Freddie.
“How?” asked the little girl.
“We’ll play we’re snowed-in at Snap’s kennel,” went on the little boy. “We’ll crawl inside and make believe we’re at the north pole. It’ll be nice and warm in the dog house, ’cause there’s a blanket nailed over the door. It’s like a curtain.”
“All right—let’s do it!” agreed Flossie. “And if we could have something to eat in the dog house it would be like a picnic.” ”

“ The two older Bobbsey twins hurried up to the playroom on the second floor. There they saw Mrs. Pry standing in the middle of the carpet, looking helplessly at Flossie and Freddie. The little girl was trying to pull one of her dolls away from her brother, who held on to it with all his might.
“Here, Freddie, you let go of Flossie’s doll!” ordered Bert.
“Yes, make him give her to me!” begged Flossie.
“Shame on you, Freddie Bobbsey!” cried Nan. “Why do you want to tease your sister—and you’re a big boy? Daddy used to call you his fireman, but he wouldn’t call you that now!” ”

“ With Bert to help her, Nan tidied the rooms and set the house to rights. Then she looked in the pantry and saw that they had enough food for another day. She caught sight of a package of prepared flour, out of which she had often seen Dinah make griddle cakes.
“We’ll have griddle cakes and maple syrup for lunch,” decided Nan.
“Hurray!” cried Bert. “That’s better than bacon. But can you bake griddle cakes, Nan?” ”

“ Bert Bobbsey did not know what had caused that crashing sound any more than did Nan. For a few moments he was frightened, as was his sister. Certainly that crash was enough to scare any one, coming as it did in the midst of the storm. And when you take four children, none of them very old, and put them in a house all alone, except for Aunt Sallie Pry, ill in bed, there is some reason for them to be afraid. ”

“ A little later the deacon arrived at the Bobbsey house. He went to the side door and brushed the snow off his boots with a broom that was kept there for the purpose.
“Is it snowing much?” asked Bert, as he let Mr. Ander in.
“Yes, snowing hard,” was the answer. “I don’t know when we’ve had so much snow this early in the winter. It keeps up as if it would never stop. How are you, Nan?” he asked kindly. “And how is the fat fairy and the big fireman?” he asked, patting Flossie and Freddie. ”

“ Then, up in a tree, but not far above the ground, he saw a little maltese kitten.
“Oh, you poor little cat!” exclaimed Bert. “I guess you’re lost in the storm. I’ll take you home.”
He reached up, and, by standing on his tiptoes, managed to get hold of the pussy. She dug her claws into the bark of the tree, for she was afraid of falling. But Bert gently pulled her loose, and then cuddled her in his arms, murmuring:
“Oh, you’re a nice little kitten! I’m glad I found you! Flossie and Freddie will just love you and Nan will give you some warm milk. ”

“ CHAPTER V AUNT SALLIE PRY
Mr. Bobbsey got out some railroad time-tables and began looking at them, trying to decide how early he and his wife must leave the next day to get to Uncle Rossiter’s home, which was several hundred miles away.
“Is Uncle Rossiter very sick?” asked Bert of his mother, who was again reading the telegram that had arrived.
“I’m afraid he is,” was the answer. “Poor old man! He is all alone in the world. Your father and I are the only relations he has left, so that’s why he wants to see us.” ”

“ CHAPTER XVIII AUNT SALLIE IS WORSE
While Nan Bobbsey was putting breakfast on the table for Flossie and Freddie, and also for herself and Bert, the smaller twins were amusing themselves by running to and fro in the house. They ran into the front room, up to the windows, out of which they looked at the storm, and then they ran back into the dining room.
“Don’t make so much noise!” begged Nan, while she wondered how Bert was getting along with cutting off the tree branch.
“We’re playing horse,” explained Freddie. “Horses have to make noise.” ”

“ Bert decided. He pulled the lace curtains of the window to one side. The curtains were wet with snow, but Bert thought he and Nan could take them down and dry them later in the day.
Bert first put the box out on the porch roof in the snow. Then he crawled out himself. As he did so the wind swayed the branch and it nearly hit him, but he managed to scramble out of the way.
Then, standing on the box, he began to chop at the shreds of the swaying branch. It was hard work, but the boy kept at it. The sharp hatchet shaved through the thin wood. ”

“ Holding back her merriment, Nan went downstairs. Flossie and Freddie were so filled with joy over their plan of going up in the attic and playing they were on a picnic in the woods that they had become very good and quiet indeed, making no trouble for Bert, who had “picked up” the dishes, ready for washing.
“I’ll dry them for you,” he told Nan, and he added: “We might as well give Flossie and Freddie some crackers and cookies, and let them play up in the attic where they won’t bother Aunt Sallie. They’ve got to do something to keep out of trouble, and they can’t go out in the storm.” ”

“ That evening when Flossie and Freddie had, as usual, gone to bed early and while Bert and Nan were studying their lessons, a knock sounded on the side door.
“My goodness! what’s that?” cried Mrs. Pry, almost jumping out of the chair in which she was sitting mending stockings. Dinah was out in the kitchen, “setting” the pancakes for the next morning.
“Some one’s at de side do’,” said the colored cook. “I’ll go see who ’tis.” ”

“ Bert got out on the porch in his big coat and rubber boots and cleared away some of the snow. Flossie and Freddie wanted to go out with him, but Nan would not allow this. She got the smaller twins into a room where they could not see Bert at work with the snow shovel, and told them stories.
“How is it outside, Bert?” asked Nan when her brother came in, having cleared the side door against which the big drift had blown.
“Pretty bad,” he answered. “It seems to snow harder than ever, and the wind is blowing and it’s getting colder. I’m glad we’re inside with a warm fire and plenty to eat.” ”

“ Bert answered. “It was queer. I wanted to find out. That’s why I went in after him. But I didn’t think there’d be a hole for me to fall into.”
Nothing was said at home about Bert’s fall, for he did not want Dinah or Mrs. Pry to worry needlessly. And he felt all right again, especially after a good lunch.
“Did any letter come from mother or daddy?” asked Nan. ”

“ Bobbsey. “He wants you and me, Mary, to come to him at once. I think we’ll have to go. It may be his last illness. We’d better start in the morning.”
“Oh, will you take us with you?” begged Nan. “I remember Uncle Rossiter. Can’t we go with you?”
“Take us! Take us!” begged Flossie and Freddie.
Mr. Bobbsey shook his head.
“No,” he answered slowly, “it would be out of the question to take you twins. You’ll have to stay at home and keep house by yourselves. Mother and I will need to leave in a hurry. We can’t take you.”
Sad looks were on the faces of all the Bobbsey twins. ”

“ Bert inquired.
“Maybe they thought a telegram would scare us,” suggested Nan. “Dinah was frightened when that one came about Sam.”
“That’s so,” agreed her brother. “I guess maybe that’s why mother didn’t telegraph us.”
[Pg 125]
“Or maybe the snow’s so deep where they are that the mail can’t get through,” went on Nan. “Lots of times, in winter, they can’t deliver the mail on account of snow.”
“That’s right,” said Bert. “I guess maybe they’re all right. Anyhow, there’s no good of worrying. And we’ll have fun keeping house by ourselves, won’t we?”
“Lots of fun,” agreed Nan. ”

“ Bobbsey heard what had happened she advised Bert to speak nothing but the truth and not to accuse Danny unless he was sure that lad had broken the window.
“That’s the trouble,” sighed Bert. “I can’t be sure, but I feel pretty certain that Danny did it.”
“It will all come out right,” his mother told him. “And of course you must not say that you broke the window if you didn’t. Mr. Tarton is too fair a man to let you be accused without good proof.”
And it was not very good proof that Sam Todd could give when later in the day he and Bert went to the principal’s office. ”

“ Bobbsey often called his small twins, and the deacon, being a friend of the family, remembered this.
“I’m all right,” Freddie answered. “Do you think there’ll be a fire to-night, Mr. Deacon?”
“Mr. Ander—not Mr. Deacon!” corrected Nan.
“Oh, it’s all the same,” laughed the kindly man. “Names don’t mean anything. But I surely hope there won’t be any fires, little man. The engines would have hard work getting through the drifts.”
“We got a little kittie out of a snowdrift,” said Flossie. “Bert found her and she’s named Snowflake. ”

“ I can hear every time if you speak out. No school, eh? I’m glad [Pg 138] of that, for if there was, you’d be late and on account of me. Oh, dear, I wish I could be around to help with the work!”
“We’ll do the work, Aunt Sallie,” said Nan kindly. “Don’t you worry or fuss. Just stay in bed and keep warm, and I’ll bring you up some breakfast. Would you like a hot flatiron for your back?”
“Well, it would help the misery a lot,” the old lady answered. “But I don’t like to be such a bother.”
“It isn’t any bother at all,” said Nan kindly. “Bert will help me get breakfast, won’t you, Bert?” ”