The Bobbsey Twins in a Great City | Page 3

begged Flossie. "My skate might come off again,
though Freddie fixed it pretty good."
"If it comes off again I'll skate and carry you on my back the rest of the
way!" cried Bert. "I want something hot to drink. But mind you!" he
cried, as he saw a mischievous look on his little sister's face, "don't dare
make your skate come off on purpose! I don't want to carry you unless I
have to."
"All right, Bert. I'll skate as fast as I can," promised Flossie.
The five started off, Tommy Todd skating beside Flossie to help her if
she should need it. Tommy was a sort of chum of both pairs of twins,
sometimes going with the older ones, Nan and Bert, and again with
Flossie and Freddie. In fact, he played with these latter more often than
with Nan and her twin, for Flossie and Freddie had played a large part
in helping Tommy at one time, as I'll explain a little later.
It was a fine Winter's day, not too cold, and the sun was shining from a
clear sky, but not warmly enough to melt the ice. The steel skates of the
five children rang out a merry tune as they clicked over the frozen
surface of the lake.
"Hurrah! Here we are!" cried Bert at last, as he skated on ahead and sat
down on a bench in front of the "Chocolate Cabin," as they called the
place. He began taking off his skates.
"Come on!" he called to the others. "I'll order the chocolate for you and
have it cooling," for there was more trouble with Flossie's skate and
Nan had stopped to help her fix it.
"Don't order chocolate for me, Bert!" called Nan. "I want malted milk.
The chocolate is too sweet."
"Guess you're afraid of your complexion, Sis!" laughed Bert, as he
went inside the little wooden house.
"Oh, Flossie, take both your skates off and walk the rest of the way,"

advised Nan, after she had tried, without much success, to fix the
troublesome strap. "We'll get there sooner."
"All right," agreed Flossie. "It's a bother--this skate. I'm going to get a
new pair."
"Maybe a new strap is all you need," said Tommy. "You can get one in
there," and he nodded toward the little cabin.
A little later the five children were seated on stools in front of the
counter, sipping the warm drinks which made their cheeks glow with
brighter color and caused a deeper sparkle in their eyes.
"This is great!" cried Tommy Todd.
"That's what!" murmured Freddie, his nose deep in his cup.
"Don't forget about my strap," came from Flossie.
"Oh, yes," agreed Bert. "We don't want to have to drag you all the way
home." The man who sold the chocolate and candy in the cabin also
had skate straps for sale and one was soon found that would do for
Flossie.
"Now my skate won't come off!" she cried, as once more they were on
the ice. "I can skate as good as you, Freddie Bobbsey!"
"Let's have a race!" proposed Freddie. "Bert and Nan can give Flossie
and me a head start, 'cause they're bigger than us. Will you?" he asked
his brother.
"Yes, I guess so. A race will get us home quicker, and we're a little
late."
"We'll let Flossie and Freddie start ahead of me," suggested Tommy,
who, being a little elder than the two smaller twins, was a little better
skater.
"All right," agreed Bert. "Any way you like. Go ahead, Floss and Fred.

Skate on until I tell you to wait. Then I'll give Tommy a starting place
and, when we're all ready, I'll give the word to begin."
Flossie and Freddie, hand in hand, skated ahead a little way. But
Freddie's skate went over a little piece of wood on the ice and he
tripped and fell, pulling Flossie down with him. The two plump twins
were in a heap on the ice.
"Hurt yourself?" asked Bert, as he started toward them, to help them
up.
"No--no--I--I guess not," answered Flossie, who was the first to get up.
"We're all right," replied Freddie. "The ice was soft right there."
"I guess it's because they're so fat, that they're soft, like a feather
pillow," laughed Tommy. "They're getting fatter every day."
"That's what they are," agreed Nan with a smile. "But they are pretty
good skaters for such small children."
"Everybody ready?" asked Bert, when the two small twins had taken
their places, and Tommy Todd was between them and Bert and Nan.
"All right," answered Freddie.
"I am, too," came from Tommy.
"Then go!" cried Bert, suddenly.
The skating race was started. Merrily clicked the runners on the hard
ice, leaving long white streaks where the