The Bobbsey Twins at the Seashore | Page 8

you," said the matron, gathering up her
belongings and making her way to the Bobbsey quarters in the other
car.
"Won't it be lovely to have Nellie with us!" Nan said to Flossie, as they
passed along. "I am sure Aunt Emily will say yes."
"So am I," said little Flossie, whose kind heart always went out when it
should. "I know surely they would not let Nellie die in the city while
we enjoy the seaside."
Freddie was awake now, and also glad to see Mrs. Manily.
"Where's Sandy?" he inquired at once. Sandy had been his little chum
from the Meadow Brook Camp.
"I guess he is having a nice time somewhere," replied Mrs. Manily.
"His aunt found him out, you know, and is going to take care of him
now."
"Well, I wish he was here too," said Freddie, rubbing his eyes. "We're
goin' to have lots of fun fishing in the ocean."
The plan for Nellie was told to Mr. Bobbsey, who, of course agreed it
would be very nice if Aunt Emily and Uncle William were satisfied.
"And what do you suppose those boxes contain?" said Mrs. Bobbsey to
Mrs. Manily, pointing to the three boxes in the hanger above them.
"Shoes?" ventured the matron.
"Nope," said Freddie. "One hat, and my duck and my cat. Downy is my
duck and Snoop is my cat."

Then Nan told about the flight of the duck and the "kidnapping" of
Snoop.
"We put them up there out of the way," finished Nan, "so that nothing
more can happen to them."
The afternoon was wearing out now, and the strong summer sun shrunk
into thin strips through the trees, while the train dashed along. As the
ocean air came in the windows, the long line of woodland melted into
pretty little streams, that make their way in patches for many miles
from the ocean front. "Like 'Baby Waters'" Nan said, "just growing out
from the ocean, and getting a little bit bigger every year."
"Won't we soon be there?" asked Freddie, for long journeys are always
tiresome, especially to a little boy accustomed to many changes in the
day's play.
"One hour more," said Mr. Bobbsey, consulting his watch.
"Let's have a game of ball, Nan?" suggested Bert, who never traveled
without a tennis ball in his pocket.
"How could we?" the sister inquired.
"Easily," said Bert. "We'll make up a new kind of game. We will start
in the middle of the car, at the two center seats, and each move a seat
away at every catch. Then, whoever misses first must go back to center
again, and the one that gets to the end first, wins."
"All right," agreed Nan, who always enjoyed her twin brother's games.
"We will call it Railroad Tennis."
Just as soon as Nan and Bert took their places, the other passengers
became very much interested. There is such a monotony on trains that
the sports the Bobbseys introduced were welcome indeed.
We do not like to seem proud, but certainly these twins did look pretty.
Nan with her fine back eyes and red cheeks, and Bert just matching her;

only his hair curled around, while hers fell down. Their interest in
Railroad Tennis made their faces all the prettier, and no wonder the
people watched them so closely.
Freddie was made umpire, to keep him out of a more active part,
because he might do damage with a ball in a train, his mother said; so,
as Nan and Bert passed the ball, he called,--his father prompting him:
"Ball one!"
"Ball two!"
"Ball three "
Bert jerked with a sudden jolt of the train and missed.
"Striker's out!" called the umpire, while everybody laughed because the
boy had missed first.
Then Bert had to go all the way back to center, while Nan was four
seats down.
Three more balls were passed, then Nan missed.
"I shouldn't have to go all the way back for the miss," protested Nan.
"You went three seats back, so I'll go three back."
This was agreed to by the umpire, and the game continued.
A smooth stretch of road gave a good chance for catching, and both
sister and brother kept moving toward the doors now, with three points
"to the good" for Nan, as a big boy said.
Who would miss now? Everybody waited to see. The train struck a
curve! Bert threw a wild ball and Nan missed it.
"Foul ball!" called the umpire, and Bert did not dispute it.
Then Nan delivered the ball.

"Oh, mercy me!" shrieked the old lady, who had thrown the handbag at
Downy, the duck, "my glasses!" and there, upon the floor, lay the
pieces. Nan's ball had hit the lady right in the glasses, and it was very
lucky