Six Little Bunkers at Grandpa Fords | Page 8

it mostly is queer noises," said his stepfather. "I'll tell you how it
happened from the very beginning--the first night your mother and I

stayed at Great Hedge. It has been going on for some time, and at last I
thought I would come on here, see you, have a talk with Mr. Ripley,
and then see if we could not clear up the mystery. In fact, I hope you'll
go back with me and help me solve the riddle.
"You and your wife and the six little Bunkers. I want you all to come
up to Grandpa Ford's. But now I'll finish telling you about the ghost."
"Please do," begged Mother Bunker with a laugh. "I have always liked
ghost stories. It is very jolly when one finds out what caused the queer
noises and sights. Let's hear about the ghost!"
"All right," went on Grandpa Ford. "I'll tell you about our first night at
Great Hedge. It was just about twelve o'clock--midnight--when, all of a
sudden----"
At that instant a crash sounded out on the porch.
"Mercy!" cried Mother Bunker. "What can that be?"
She and Daddy Bunker rushed from the room, Grandpa Ford following
more slowly.
CHAPTER IV
RUSS MAKES A BALLOON
"What is it? What's the matter?" cried Mother Bunker as she opened a
door leading on to the porch, where she had heard the crashing noise.
Those were the first things the mother of the six little Bunkers always
asked whenever anything unusual happened.
"What is the matter?" she cried.
Then she saw. Lying on the porch, under the hammock, was Russ. He
was huddled in a heap, and he was doing his best not to cry. Mrs.
Bunker could tell that by the way his face was wrinkled up. Near him
stood Rose, and she looked startled.

"What's the matter?" repeated Mrs. Bunker. "Are you hurt, Russ?"
"No'm--that is, not very much. I--I fell out of the hammock."
"Yes, I see you did. What made you? Did you swing too high? I've told
you not to do that."
"What does it all mean?" asked Daddy Bunker, while Grandpa Ford
looked on. "Were you trying to do some circus tricks in the hammock,
Russ?"
"No. I--I was just climbing up, like a sailor when he goes up a rope,
you know, and----"
"I call that a circus trick!" interrupted Mr. Bunker. "I wouldn't try those,
if I were you, Russ. You aren't hurt much this time, I guess, but you
might be another time. Don't try any tricks until you get older."
"Well, it wasn't exactly a trick," explained Russ, and then he saw Rose
looking at him in a queer way and he stopped.
"As long as you're all right it's a blessing," said his mother.
"I thought the house was falling down," remarked Grandpa Ford with a
laugh.
"Oh, you'll get used to all sorts of noises like that, Father, if you're very
long around the six little Bunkers," said his stepson. "As soon as we
hear a louder noise than common we rush out. But we have been very
lucky so far. None of the children has been badly hurt."
"I hope they'll be as lucky as that when they come to my place at Great
Hedge," said Grandpa Ford.
"Oh, are we going to stay with you, Grandpa Ford?" cried Russ,
forgetting all about his pains and bruises, now that there was a prospect
of a new place to go to.
"Oh, what fun!" exclaimed Rose. "I'm going to tell Laddie and Vi!"

"No, don't, please, Rose," said her mother. "It isn't settled yet. We
haven't really decided to go."
"Oh, but you must come if I have to come down with my big hay
wagon and cart you up!" said Grandpa Ford. "But we'll talk about that
later. I'm glad neither of you two children was hurt. Now here is five
cents each. Run down and buy a lollypop. I imagine they must be five
cents apiece now, with the way everything has gone up."
"No, they're only a penny apiece, but sometimes you used to get two
for a cent," explained Russ, as he took one coin and Rose the other.
"Thank you," he went on. "We'll get something, and give Mun Bun and
Margy a bit."
"And Violet and Laddie, too," added Rose.
Russ looked at the five-cent piece in his hand as if wondering if it
would stretch that far.
"Send the other children to me, and I'll give them each five cents," said
Grandpa Ford with a laugh.
"Then we can all go to the store!" said Rose, clapping her hands. "They
have lovely five-cent grab-bags down at Henderson's store."
"Well, don't eat too much trash," said Mrs. Bunker. Then, turning to
Grandpa Ford, she said: "Now we can