Six Little Bunkers at Grandpa Fords | Page 4

had better. He just had a letter---- Be
careful, Mun Bun! Do you want to fall in again?" she cried, for the little
fellow, still wet from his first bath, had nearly slipped off the edge of
the pier once more, as he jumped back when the big crab again climbed
to the top of the peach basket.
"Come! I must take you up to the house and get dry clothes on you,"
said Mun Bun's mother to him. "Then we must begin to pack and get
ready to go home. Our visit to Cousin Tom is at an end."
"Oh, dear!" cried the six little Bunkers.
But children, especially as young as they were, are seldom unhappy for

very long over anything.
"We can have a lot of fun at home," said Russ to Rose.
"Oh, yes, so we can. It won't be like the seashore, but we can have
fun!"
There was much excitement in Cousin Tom's bungalow at Seaview the
next day, for the Bunkers were packing to go back to their home in
Pineville, Pennsylvania.
"We are very sorry to see you go," said Cousin Tom.
"Indeed we are," agreed his pretty wife, Ruth. "You must come to see
us next summer."
"We will," promised Mr. Bunker. "But just now we must hurry back
home. I hope we shall be in time."
Russ and Rose, who heard this, wondered at the reason for it. But they
did not have time to ask for, just then, along came the automobile that
was to take them from Cousin Tom's house to the railroad station.
Good-byes were said, there was much laughter and shouting; and
finally the six little Bunkers and their father and mother were on their
way home.
It was a long trip, but finally they reached Pineville and took a carriage
from the depot to their house.
"How funny everything looks!" exclaimed Russ, for they had been
away from home visiting around, for some time.
"Yes, it does look funny," agreed Rose. "Oh, I see our house!" she
called, pointing down the street. "There's our house!"
"Yes," answered Russ. "And oh, look! Daddy! Mother! There's a man
on our porch! There's a man asleep on our porch!"

The six little Bunkers, and Daddy and Mother Bunker looked. There
was, indeed, an elderly man asleep in a rocking-chair on the porch.
Who could he be?
CHAPTER II
GRANDPA FORD
Eagerly peering from the carriage in which they had ridden from the
Pineville station, the six little Bunkers looked to see who the man was
on their porch. He seemed to be asleep, for he sat very still in the
rocking-chair, which had been forgotten and left on the porch when the
family had gone away.
"Do you know him, Daddy?" asked Rose.
"Maybe he is from your office," said Laddie.
"Maybe he's the old tramp lumberman that had your papers in the old
coat, Daddy," suggested Russ.
Mr. Bunker hurried down from the carriage, and walked up the steps.
As he did so the old man on the porch woke suddenly from his nap. He
sat up, looked at the Bunker family, now crowding up on the steps, and
a kind smile spread over his face.
"Well, well!" he exclaimed. "I got here ahead of you, I see!"
"Why, Father!" cried Mr. Bunker.
"Oh, it's Grandpa Ford!" exclaimed Rose.
"Grandpa Ford!" fairly shouted Russ, dropping the valise he was
carrying, and hurrying to be clasped in the old gentleman's arms.
"Grandpa Ford!" cried Laddie and Vi together, just as twins often do.

"Yes, I'm Grandpa Ford!" said the old gentleman, smiling and kissing
the children one after the other. "You didn't expect to see me, did you?"
"Hardly so soon," said Mrs. Bunker. "But we are glad! Have you been
here long?"
"No, not very. I came on a day sooner than I expected, and as I knew
from your letters that you would be home to-day, I came here to wait
for you."
"I'll get the house open right away and make you a cup of tea," said
Mrs. Bunker. "You must be tired."
"Oh, no, not very. I had a nice little nap in the chair on your shady
porch. Well, how are you all?"
"Fine," answered Mr. Bunker. "You look well, Father!"
"I am well."
"Do you know any riddles?" asked Laddie.
"Do I know any riddles, little man? Well, I don't know. I might think of
one."
"I know one," went on Laddie, not stopping to hear what his
grandfather might say. "It's about which would you rather be, a door or
a window?"
"Which would I rather be, a door or a window?" asked Grandpa Ford
with a laugh. "Well, I don't know that there is much difference,
Laddie."
"Oh, yes, there is!" exclaimed the