The Bobbsey Twins at Home | Page 5

I work for Mr. Schmidt, a butcher. But I
don't earn much. When I get through school I'll work all the while, and
earn lots of money. Then I'm going to hire a ship and go to look for my
father."
"I thought you said he was drowned in the ocean!" exclaimed Flossie.
"Well, maybe he is. But sometimes shipwrecked people get picked up
by other vessels and carried a long way off. And sometimes they get on
an island and have to stay a long time before they are taken off. Maybe
that happened to my father."

"Oh, maybe it did!" cried Freddie. "That would be great! Just like
Robinson Crusoe, Flossie! Don't you remember?"
"Yes, mother read us that story. I hope your father is on Robinson
Crusoe's island," she whispered to Tommy.
"I'll tell you what we'll do," said Freddie to the new boy. "When I get
home, I'll take all the money in my bank, and help you buy a ship. Then
we'll both go off together, looking for the desert island where your
father is; will you?"
"Yes," said Tommy, "I will, and thank you."
"I'm coming, too," said Flossie.
"No. Girls can't be on a ship!" said Freddie.
"Yes they can too! Can't they, Tommy?"
"Well, my mother was once on the ship with my father, I've heard my
grandma say."
"There, see!" cried Flossie. "Of course I'm coming! I'll do the cooking
for you boys."
"Oh, well, if you want to cook of course that's different," said Freddie,
slowly, as he thought about it.
"I'm going to ask my father how much I got saved up," he went on to
Tommy. "And how much it costs to buy a ship. He'll know for he sells
lumber. You wait here and I'll ask him."
Freddie slipped from the seat into the aisle of the car. Flossie stayed to
talk to Tommy. Bert and Nan were looking at a magazine which Mrs.
Bobbsey had bought for them, and she and her husband were still
talking to the fresh air lady. Scattered about the car, the fresh air
children were talking and laughing, telling each other of the good times
they had had in the country. All of them were sorry to go back to the
city again.

"Papa," began Freddie, as he reached the seat where Mr. and Mrs.
Bobbsey sat, "how much money have I saved up? And how much does
a ship cost? 'Cause Tommy Todd and I are going off to look for his
father who is lost on a desert island, and we want to bring him home.
Does it take much money?"
Mr. Bobbsey looked at his little boy, wondering what he meant, and he
was just going to answer him, and say it took much more money than
Freddie had saved to buy a ship, when, all at once, the train came to
such a sudden stop that Freddie was nearly thrown off his feet. His
father caught him just in time.
"Oh!" cried Mrs. Bobbsey. "I hope there has been no accident!"
"If dey is I'se gwine t' git out quick!" cried Dinah. "Come on, chilluns.
I'se got de cat!" and she started to run for the door, carrying the basket
holding Snoop.
"Be quiet," said Mr. Bobbsey. "Nothing much seems to have happened.
We didn't hit anything, anyhow."
Some of the fresh air children were excited, and the two ladies in
charge hurried here and there quieting them.
Bert Bobbsey, who was with his sister Nan, looked out a window.
"Oh, see!" he cried. "A lot of men with guns are standing along the
track. They stopped the train, I guess. They must be robbers! I'm going
to hide my money!"
Several women heard Bert speak of robbers, and they screamed.
"Bert, don't be foolish!" said Mr. Bobbsey. "I dare say it isn't anything.
I'll go out and see what it means."
"I'll come with you," said a man in the seat behind Mr. Bobbsey.
Several other passengers also left the train. And while they are out
seeking the cause of the sudden stop I'll tell my new readers something

about the Bobbsey twins, so that they may feel better acquainted with
them.
Those of you who have read the other books in this series, beginning
with the first, "The Bobbsey Twins," know enough about the children
already. But others do not.
There were two sets of Bobbsey twins. Bert and Nan were about ten
years old. Both were tall and slim, with dark hair and eyes. Flossie and
Freddie, who were about five years of age, were short and fat, and had
light hair and blue eyes.
The Bobbseys lived in an Eastern city called Lakeport, near Lake
Metoka, on the shore of which Mr. Bobbsey had a large