The Curlytops on Star Island | Page 8

round, brown molasses cookies.
"Hello, Curlytops, what can I do for you. to-day?" asked the
storekeeper a little later, when the three children had driven up to his
front door. "Do you want a barrel of sugar put in your wagon or a keg
of salt mack'rel? I have both."
"We want baking soda," answered Jan.
"And you shall have the best I've got. Where are you going--off to look

for the end of the rainbow and get the pot of gold at the end?" he asked
jokingly.
"No, we're not going far to-day," answered Ted.
"Well, stop in when you're passing this way again," called out the
storekeeper as Ted turned Nicknack around for the homeward trip. "I'm
always glad to see you."
"Maybe you won't see us now for quite a while," answered Jan proudly.
"No? Why not? You're not going to leave Cherry Farm I hope."
Ted stopped Nicknack that they might better explain.
"We're going camping with grandpa on Star Island."
"Where's that you're going?" asked a farmer who had just come out of
the store after buying some groceries.
"Camping on Star Island in Clover Lake," repeated Ted.
"Huh! I wouldn't go there if I were you," said the farmer, shaking his
head.
"Why not?" asked Ted. "Is it because of the blue light?" and he looked
at his sister to see if she remembered.
"I don't know anything about a blue light," the farmer answered. "But if
I were your grandfather I wouldn't take you there camping," and the
man again shook his head.
"Why not!" asked Janet, her eyes opening wide in surprise.
"Well, I'll tell you why," went on the farmer. "I was over on Star Island
fishing the other day, and I saw a couple of tramps, or maybe gypsies,
there. I didn't like the looks of the men, and that's why I wouldn't go
there camping if I were you or your grandpa," and the farmer shook his
head again as he unhitched his team of horses.

CHAPTER III
OFF TO STAR ISLAND
"Oh Ted!" exclaimed Janet, as she drove home in the goat-wagon with
her brother and Baby William, "do you s'pose we can't go camping with
grandpa?"
"Why can't we?" demanded Teddy.
"'Cause of what that farmer said."
"Oh, well, I guess grandpa won't be 'fraid of tramps on the island. It's
part his, anyhow, and he can make 'em get off."
"Yes, he could do that," agreed Janet, after thinking the matter over.
"But if they were gypsies?"
"Well, gypsies and tramps are the same. Grandpa can make the gypsies
get off the island too."
"They--they might take Trouble," faltered Jan in a low voice.
"Who?" asked Ted.
"The gypsies."
"Who take me?" demanded Trouble himself. "Who take me, Jam?"
Sometimes he called his sister Jam instead of Jan.
"Who take me?" he asked, playfully poking his fingers in his sister's
eyes.
"Oh--nobody," she answered quickly, as she took him off her lap and
put him behind her in the cart. She did not want to frighten her little
brother. "Let's hurry home and tell grandpa," Jan said to Ted, and he

nodded his curly head to show that he would do that.
On trotted Nicknack, Trouble being now seated in the back of the
wagon on a cushion, while Ted and Jan were in front.
"Maybe it was tramps making a campfire that we saw last night," went
on Jan after a pause, during which they came nearer to Cherry Farm.
"A campfire blaze isn't blue," declared Ted.
"Well, maybe this is a new kind."
Ted shook his head until his curls waggled.
"I don't b'lieve so," he said.
"Bang! There, me shoot you!" suddenly cried Trouble, and Ted and Jan
heard something fall with a thud on the ground behind them.
"Whoa, there!" cried Ted to Nicknack. "What are you shootin', Trouble
baby?" he asked, turning to look at his little brother.
"Me shoot a bunny rabbit," was the answer.
"Oh, there is a little bunny!" cried Jan, pointing to a small, brown one
that ran along under the bushes, and then came to a stop in front of the
goat-wagon, pausing to look at the children.
"Me shoot him," said Trouble, laughing gleefully.
"What with?" asked Ted, a sudden thought coming into his mind.
"Trouble frow store thing at bunny," said the little boy, "It bwoke an'
all white stuff comed out!"
"Oh, Trouble, did you throw grandma's soda at the bunny?" cried Jan.
"Yes, I did," answered Baby William.

"And it's all busted!" exclaimed Ted, as he saw the white powder
scattered about on the woodland path. "We've got to go back to the
store for some more. Oh, Trouble Martin!"
"I's didn't hurt de bunny wabbit," said Trouble earnestly. "I's only
make-be'ieve shoot him--bang!"
"I know