Nan Bobbsey

“ RESCUED “What is it, Daddy?” asked Bert, who had also been awakened, more by Nan’s voice than by the noise in the night. “What is it?” he inquired again.
“Nan heard something. I guess we can all hear it now,” answered Mr. Bobbsey, as the sound of breaking twigs, branches and underbrush told of some large body advancing.
“Do you think it could be a—bear?” faltered Nan.
“Of course not,” laughed her father. “There are no bears in these woods. It may be another auto coming, breaking its way along a narrow road.” ”

“ Nan Bobbsey gave gasp, just as if she had fallen into a bath tub full of cold water. Bert quickly glanced at his friend Billy. Nell had hurried over to the other side of the room to stop Flossie from pulling a pile of dusty magazines from a shelf down on top of herself. Billy seemed to be the only one who was not excited.
"Two dollars?" he repeated. "That's a lot of money."
"What? A lot of money for rich childrens? Ha! Ha! That's only a little moneys!" laughed the man, rubbing his hands.
"We aren't rich," said Bert. "And I don't believe we have two dollars." ”

“ Nan could not go on, but leaned on her twin brother's arm for support.
"You girls are crazy to jump rope so much," put in a big boy, Danny Rugg by name. Danny was something of a bully and very few of the girls liked him.
"It's no worse than playing football," said a big girl.
"Yes, it is, much worse," retorted Danny. "Rope jumping brings on heart disease. I heard father tell about it."
"I hope Grace didn't get heart disease." sobbed Nan.
"You turned the rope," went on Danny maliciously. "If she dies, they'll put you in prison, Nan Bobbsey." ”

“ Look! Nan’s taking her out of the cradle!” And Nan was doing just this.
“Pooh! don’t you think I know how to hold a baby?” asked Nan.
“You might if you had a net under you, like the man in the circus, so she wouldn’t hit the floor if you dropped her,” chuckled Bert.
“Pooh! you think you’re smart, don’t you?” sneered Nan. This was as near as she and Bert ever came to having a fuss.
“Now, children,” chided Mrs. Bobbsey gently, “be polite, please!”
“But what are we going to do with the baby?” asked Mr. Bobbsey. ”

“ Bobbsey. "Then I'll take you, Bert, if you'd like to go. We'll see if we can find Helen's big, talking doll."
"She must feel bad at losing it," said Nan.
"She does," said Bert. "Though how any one can get to like a doll, with such stupid eyes as they have, I can't see."
"They're as good as nasty old knives that cut you, and kite strings that are always getting tangled," said Nan with a laugh.
"Yes, I guess we like different things," agreed her brother. "Well, I'm glad it wasn't Flossie or Freddie the gypsies took away with them." ”

“ Nan Bobbsey and some of her girl chums, as well as Danny Rugg and the boys with whom Bert Bobbsey played, also wondered why Bert had to go to the principal’s office.
“Did Bert do anything?” whispered Grace Lavine, who sat behind Nan.
“I don’t know,” was the low-voiced reply. “I don’t think so. I didn’t see him.”
“Well, anyhow, he couldn’t have thrown any snowballs,” said Nellie Parks. “I mean like the time he once did and Danny said he broke the church window.”
“No,” agreed Nan, remembering the winter when she and her brother and the smaller twins “kept house,” with Mrs. Pry ill in bed. ”

“ 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?"
"Of course we could, and it is very kind of you to think of them," said Nan, as she patted her little sister on her head. "I'll look after Sammie and Julia when we get to the grove."
In spite of what Nan and Bert had said about Mrs. Bobbsey being very busy, Flossie and Freddie looked anxiously in the direction of their house as they walked along. ”

“ Bobbsey, "and from what I know of Mr. Hardee he isn't an easy man to work for. Well, have you seen enough of the boat, Nan? Do you think you'll like it?"
"Oh, I just love it," Nan answered. "I'm so anxious for the time to come when we can go sailing, or whatever you do in a boat like this. Mamma, may I bring some of my things from home to fix up my room?"
"I think so—yes. We shall have to talk about that later. I think it is time we started home now. Dinah will not want to wait supper for 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.” ”

“ Nan and Bert, and Flossie and Freddie were soon having almost as much fun as they had had at the seashore and in the country. Their town playmates, who had come back from their vacations, called at the Bobbsey home, and made up games and all sorts of sports.
"For," said Grace Lavine, with whom Nan sometimes played, "school will soon begin, and we want to have all the fun we can until then."
"Let's jump rope," proposed Nan.
"All right," agreed Grace. "Here comes Nellie Parks, and we'll see who can jump the most." ”

“ Anyway, it was about that high"—Nan raised her hand to her shoulder—"and all pure white."
"Oh, Nan!" shivered Freddie. "Don't want no ghostses!" [Pg 152]
"I don't want to see it," put in Flossie, and edged closer to her mamma as if fearful the ghost might walk into the dining room that minute.
"This is certainly strange," came from Mr. Bobbsey. "Tell us all about it, Nan."
"Oh, papa, you won't laugh?" and Nan's face grew very red. "I—I—didn't think of it then, but it must have been very funny," she continued.
"It's not very funny to see a ghost, Nan," said Mrs. Bobbsey. ”

“ On the steps in front of him, or else down the front walk, were his wife, Nan, Bert, Flossie, Freddie, Sam, Dinah, Snoop, in his traveling crate, Whisker, the goat, hitched to his wagon, and a pile of trunks, boxes and other things.
"If we're not ready we never will be," said Mrs. Bobbsey with a sigh and a laugh, as she looked over everything. "We aren't going so far, but what we can send for anything we forget, which is a good thing. But I guess we're all ready, Daddy." ”

“ Mother, why don’t you get me a big green umbrella like hers?” he asked.
“I’m afraid the wind would blow you away with it,” laughed Mrs. Bobbsey, as, with Bert and Nan, she looked out at the person Flossie and Freddie were speaking of. “Poor old lady!” murmured Mrs. Bobbsey.
The old woman making her way up the street amid the storm, carrying on one arm a large, square market basket covered with a black cloth, as if to keep whatever was inside dry from the pelting rain, did, indeed, seem a strange figure. ”

“ And so my little fat fireman had a ride in an ice-boat, did he?" cried Mr. Bobbsey that night, when he came home from the office and heard the story. "And how did my little fat fairy like it?" And he lifted up first Freddie and then Flossie to kiss them. "Fat fireman" and "fat fairy" were Mr. Bobbsey's pet names for the smaller twins. Bert and Nan had had pet names when they were small, but they were too large for them now, growing out of them as they grew out of their clothes.
"Oh, it was glorious!" cried Nan. "Sailing in an ice-boat must be like the way it feels to be in an airship." ”

“ Bobbsey how the boathouse had been set afire, and expressed his sorrow. And so the mystery was cleared up.
CHAPTER XXI THE FAT LADY'S LETTER "Well," remarked Nan Bobbsey, a few days after it had become known that Danny Rugg was to blame for the fire in the boathouse, "I wish we could find out, as easily as we found out about Danny, who has our cat Snoop."
"So do I," added Flossie. "Poor Snoop! I do miss him so much."
"So do I!" exclaimed Freddie. "But Snap is a nice dog, and I guess
I like dogs better than cats, anyhow."
"Why, Freddie Bobbsey!" cried Nan, "Don't you love Snoop any more?" ”

“ Nan looked after Flossie and Freddie so they would not get in Bert’s way nor into the brook, and soon the older Bobbsey boy gave a cry of delight.
“What’s the matter?” Nan called.
“She works! She works!” he responded. “Look at my paddle wheel turn!” ”

“ Soon the patter of bare feet announced that the two younger twins were scampering downstairs.
"You must put on your dressing gowns and slippers, my dears!" called Mrs. Bobbsey. "You'll take cold. Nan, look after them; will you?"
"Yes, mother, in just a minute. As soon as I can find my own things," and Nan got out of bed. She and Bert were not in so much of a hurry as Flossie and Freddie for they were getting older, and though Christmas was still a source of great joy to them they were not so anxious to see what gifts they had. Still Nan was eager to know if her camera had come. ”

“ Bobbsey tried to speak easily. "She has just gone into some room, or down some long hall, and lost her way, I think. You see there are so many rooms and halls in this building that it would be easy for even daddy or me to be lost. But your father will soon find Flossie and bring her back to us."
"But if they don't find her, Mamma?"
"Oh, they'll be sure to do that, Nan. There is nobody around this building who would hurt our little Flossie."
"What an awful big building it is," remarked Nan. "And just think of the thousands and thousands of books! ”

“ Bobbsey, for Nan and Flossie had a big seat turned towards Bert and Freddie's, while Dinah had a seat all to herself (with some boxes of course) , and Mr. and Mrs. Bobbsey had another seat. The high-back, broad plush seats gave more room than the narrow, revolving chairs, besides, the day coach afforded so much more freedom for children.
"What a cute little baby!" exclaimed Nan, referring to a tiny tot sleeping under a big white netting, across the aisle.
"We must be quiet," said Mrs. Bobbsey, "and let the little baby sleep.
It is hard to travel in hot weather." ”

“ Nan pointed to an object on the piazza, half under the door mat. There lay a dead rat, and around its neck was a string to which was attached a card reading, "Nan and Bert Bobbsey's Ghost."
"This is certainly awful," said Bert.
The noise on the piazza had brought Mrs. Bobbsey to the door. At the sight of the dead [Pg 175] rat, which Freddie had picked up by the tail, she gave a slight scream.
"Oh, Freddie, leave it go!" she said.
"It won't hurt you, mamma," said the little boy. "The real is gone out of it."
"But—but—how did it get here?"
"Danny Rugg brought it," said Bert. "Look at the tag." ”

“ Bobbsey, with a smile. “One broken dish doesn’t matter, especially on a birthday. But perhaps you had better take Snoop out, Nan, so he won’t make any more trouble for Dinah.”
“I’ll give him a ride in Flossie’s doll’s go-cart that she got for Daddy!” laughed Nan.
“No, you will not!” protested the other Bobbsey girl. “I’m going to give my doll a ride. Come on, Daddy,” she begged. “Let’s take a walk and ride my doll.”
“And let’s have a catch with my ball—I mean the ball I gave you!” cried Freddie. ”

“ A baby! A darling baby!” gasped Mrs. Bobbsey.
“Whose is it?” asked Mr. Bobbsey. “Some one must have lost it!”
“They don’t lose babies!” declared his wife. “It was left here!”
“Left here! On purpose, do you mean?” cried her husband.
Mrs. Bobbsey nodded her head solemnly. Nan had stooped over and was lifting the tiny creature from its nest in the basket.
“Oh, Mother! may we keep it?” begged Flossie.
“Is it a boy or a girl?” demanded Freddie. “If it’s a boy, keep it!”
“Bring it in, Nan,” said Mrs. Bobbsey. “The poor little dear! It must be almost perished with the cold—and hungry, too! ”

“ Bobbsey gave them each a little sponge, which they dampened in water, and with that they moistened the sticky places, both of the stamps and the envelopes. And so the invitations were made ready to mail.
"Have you invited any boys to the party?" asked Bert.
"Yes, some," answered Nan. "But only a few."
"Then I'll come," he said. "I don't like a party with just nothing but girls."
"And I'll help Nan bake her cake," offered Flossie.
"So will I," added Freddie. "I like to clean out the cake dishes, and eat the sweet dough and the icing." ”

“ Just then the telephone rang.
“It’s your father,” announced Mrs. Bobbsey, after listening a moment. “He says,” she went on, “that he has to go to Menton on some business in the auto, and he wants to know if you two would like to ride with him,” and she looked at Bert and Nan. Flossie and Freddie were out in the yard playing.
“Oh, would we!” cried Nan, clasping her hands in joyful anticipation. “When is he coming?”
“I’d rather ride with dad than play ball,” declared Bert. ”

“ Nellie and Nan "ducked" under, but Flossie was a little timid, and held her mother's right hand even tighter than Freddie clung to her left.
"We must get hold of the ropes," declared Mrs. Bobbsey, seeing a big wave coming.
They just reached the ropes when the wave caught them. Nellie and Nan were out farther, and the billow struck Nellie with such force it actually washed her up on shore.
"Ha! ha!" laughed Dorothy, "Nellie got the first tumble." And then the waves kept dashing in so quickly that there was no more chance for conversation. ”

“ There they stood, behind the sheet of water, and looked out through it to the lake, into which it fell with a great splashing and foaming.
"Oh, isn't this wonderful!" cried Nan.
"It surely is," said Dorothy, with a sigh. "I never saw anything so pretty."
"And what queer stones!" cried Bert, as he picked up some that had been worn into odd shapes by the action of the water.
The Bobbseys spent some little time at the waterfall, and then, as there was a pretty little island near it, where picnic parties often went for the day, they went there in the Bluebird, going ashore for their dinner. ”