The Bobbsey Twins on a Houseboat | Page 4

know I went down to papa's lumber office this morning, to
bring him the letter that came here to the house by mistake. It was a
letter from--"
"You can skip that part of it," suggested Bert. "I don't want to wait so

long about hearing the news."
"Well, I thought I'd tell you everything," said Nan. "Anyhow, when I
was in papa's office he bought it."
"What did he buy?" asked Freddie, getting to the point more quickly
than Bert would have done. "What'd he buy, Nan?"
"A houseboat," went on the older girl twin. Mr. Marvin was there, and
he sold papa the Marvin houseboat. Oh! and such fun as we're--"
"What's a houseboat?" interrupted Flossie.
"It's a boat with a house on it, of course," spoke Bert, eagerly. "I know.
I've seen lots of them. You can live in them just like in a house, only
it's on water. There's more room in a houseboat than in a regular boat.
Go on, Nan."
"Are we going to live in it?" asked Freddie.
"I think so--at least part of the time," said Nan. "Now I'll tell you all I
know about it. I couldn't stay to ask all I wanted to, as papa was busy.
Besides, it was sort of a secret, and I found it out by accident before he
meant me to. So you mustn't tell mamma yet--it's to be a surprise to
her," and Nan looked at the two smaller twins, and raised a cautioning
finger.
"I won't tell," promised Flossie.
"Neither will I," promised Freddie. "Is that all you're going to tell us,
Nan?"
"Well, isn't that enough?" demanded Nan. "I think it's just fine, that
we're going to have a houseboat! I've always wanted one."
"So have I," spoke Bert. "Go on, Nan! Tell me more about it. How big
is it? Is there an engine in it? Where is it? Can we go on board? When
is papa going to get it? Is there a room for me in it? I wonder if I can
run the engine and steer? How much did it cost?"

"Gracious!" cried Nan, pretending to cover her ears with her hands. "It
will take me all morning, Bert, to answer those questions. Please start
over again."
"First tell me where I can see the boat," suggested Bert. "I want to go
look at it."
"It's down in the lake," said Nan.
"Come on, Flossie," spoke Freddie. "There's Snap coming back now,
and maybe we can catch him. Then we'll harness him up. Dinah ought
to be done with her baking now, and maybe she can find those straps
for us. Here, Snap!"
Flossie and Freddie, being some years younger than Bert and Nan, did
not care to bear much more about the houseboat just then. That they
were going to have one was enough for them. They were much pleased
and delighted, but they had the idea of hitching Snap to the express
wagon, and they could not get that out of their minds.
"You go in and ask Dinah to help you look for the straps," directed
Freddie to his little sister, "and I'll catch Snap. Here, Snap! Snap!" he
called to the dog who had come back into the yard after a romp and
frolic with his animal friend.
Snap was glad enough to stretch out on the grass and rest. He was tired
from his run. Freddie put his arms around the dog's neck, and laid his
head down on the shaggy coat.
"Now you can't run away again," said Freddie, as he pretended to go to
sleep, while Flossie toddled into the house once more, to have another
look for the missing book straps.
At a little distance from Freddie sat Nan and Bert, talking about the
houseboat, and the good times they would have on board. Freddie
roused up, and looked toward the house. Flossie had not yet come out.
"It takes her a long time," said the little boy. "We won't have any ride at

all, if she doesn't hurry up."
Then Freddie saw something else that attracted his attention. This was
Bert's bicycle, leaning now against the side of a shed. Bert was too
much interested in the houseboat to want to ride just then.
A new idea came into Freddie's head.
"I'm going to have a ride on Bert's wheel, while I'm waiting for Flossie
to come out with the straps," said the little twin chap. "Bert won't care."
Freddie did not take any chances on asking Bert. His elder brother was
still busy talking to Nan about the new houseboat. Freddie scrambled to
his feet.
"Now you stay there, Snap!" he commanded the big dog, for Snap,
ready again for some fun, was anxious to follow his little master. "Lie
down,