The Bobbsey Twins at Home | Page 2

black cat, is mine then," said Freddie.
"Isn't she, Mother?"
"Yes. And now please don't talk like that any more. Look out of the
window and watch the trees shoot past."
"Oh, I'm going to see Snoop!" exclaimed Flossie, suddenly.
"So'm I," added Freddie. And in a moment the two children were

bending over a basket which was in the seat with Dinah. In the basket
was Snoop, the big black cat. She always traveled that way with the
Bobbseys. And she seemed very comfortable, for she was curled up on
the blanket in the bottom of the basket. Snoop opened her eyes as
Freddie and Flossie put their fingers through cracks and stroked her as
well as they could.
"I wish Snap was in here with us," said Freddie, after a bit. "I hope he
gets a drink of water."
"Oh, I want a drink of water!" exclaimed Flossie, suddenly. "I forgot I
was thirsty. Mother, can't I have a drink?" she went on.
"Oh, yes, dear. I suppose so. I'll get it for you."
"No, let Dinah get it so she'll upset," begged Flossie.
"I'll get it for you, Flossie," offered Freddie. "Dinah might get hurt."
"Dat's de li'l gen'man," said the fat cook, smiling. "He lubs ole Dinah."
"I love you too, Dinah," said Flossie, patting the black hand that had
done many kind acts for the twins. "But I do want a drink, and you
know you would look funny if you upset here in the car."
"Yes, I spects I would, chile," laughed Dinah.
"May I get Flossie a drink?" asked Freddie.
"You may both go down to the end of the car where the water-cooler
is," said Mrs. Bobbsey. "The train is slowing down now, and going to
stop, I think, so you won't fall. But be careful."
Flossie and Freddie started toward the end of the long car, but their
sister Nan, who with her brother Bert was a few seats away, went with
them, to make sure nothing would happen.
"I'm not thirsty any more," Flossie said, after having had two cups of
cold water.

"No, but you will be in half an hour, I'm sure," laughed Nan. "Every
one seems to get thirsty on a railroad journey. I do myself," and she
took some water after Freddie had had enough.
The train now came to a stop, and Flossie and Freddie hurried back to
their seat to look out at the station. Hardly were they both crowded
close to the window before there was the sound of shouting and
laughing, and into the car came rushing a number of children. With
them were two ladies who seemed to be in charge. There were boys and
girls--about twenty all together--and most of them made rushes for the
best seats, while some hurried down to the tank to get drinks of
ice-water.
"I had that cup first!" cried one.
"You did not! I had it myself," said another.
"That's my seat by the window!" shouted a third.
"It is not! I had it first, you can see where I left my hat! Oh, my hat's
gone!" a boy exclaimed.
"I threw it on the floor, I wanted to sit here myself," said a big girl with
red curls.
"Children! Children! You must be quiet!" called one of the ladies.
The train started again, all the other passengers watching the queer
children who were making such a confusion.
"Oh, see the cow!" cried a tall boy. "It's the last cow you'll see for a
year, fellows, so take a good look at her," he added as the train passed
along a field.
"No more good times for a long while," sighed a boy who had a seat
near Freddie and Flossie. "I wish I could live in the country always."
Flossie and Freddie looked at him. His clothes were patched here and
there, but they were clean. And his face and hands were clean, which

could not be said of all the other children, though some of them showed
that they had tried to make themselves neat.
"The country is the best place," he said, and he looked at the two
smaller Bobbsey twins as though he would like to speak to them. "I'm
going to be a farmer when I grow up," he went on, after a pause.
"He--he's a nice boy," whispered Flossie to her brother. "I'm going to
speak to him. We can talk about the country."
"Wait a minute," advised Freddie. "Maybe mother wouldn't want us to
talk to strangers."
Flossie looked back to where her father and mother were sitting. Mrs.
Bobbsey was speaking to one of the ladies who had come in the car
with the noisy children.
"Are you taking part of an orphan asylum on an outing?" Flossie heard