THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT HOME

CONTENTS


CHAPTER PAGE
I. TOMMY TODD'S STORY 1

II. A SUDDEN STOP 13

III. SNAP AND SNOOP 24

IV. HOME AGAIN 36

V. TOMMY'S TROUBLES 45

VI. SCHOOL DAYS 57

VII. THE SCHOOL PLAY 67

VIII. SNOOP IN TROUBLE 76

IX. NAN BAKES A CAKE 86

X. IN THE LUMBER YARD 98

XI. A QUEER PLAY-HOUSE 108

XII. TOMMY IS REWARDED 117

XIII. THE FIRST FROST 129

XIV. AFTER CHESTNUTS 139

XV. THE STORM 151

XVI. THE FIRST SNOW 161

XVII. ON THE HILL 171

XVIII. BERT'S SNOWSHOES 181

XIX. THROUGH THE ICE 191

XX. LOST IN A STORM 202

XXI. THE STRANGE MAN 214

XXII. HAPPY DAYS 228




THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT HOME




CHAPTER I

TOMMY TODD'S STORY


"Mother, how many more stations before we'll be home?"

"Oh, quite a number, dear. Sit back and rest yourself. I thought you
liked it on the train."

"I do; but it's so long to sit still."

The little fellow who had asked the question turned to his golden-haired
sister, who sat in the seat with him.

"Aren't you tired, Flossie?" he asked.

"Yes, Freddie, I am!" exclaimed Flossie. "And I want a drink of water."

"Dinah will get it for you," said Mother Bobbsey. "My! But you are a
thirsty little girl."

"Deed an' dat's whut she am!" exclaimed a fat, good-natured looking
colored woman, smiling at the little girl. Dinah was the Bobbsey family
cook. She had been with them so long that she used to say, and almost
do, just what she pleased. "Dis am de forty-sixteen time I'se done bin
down to de end ob de car gittin' Miss Flossie a drink ob watah. An' de
train rocks so, laik a cradle, dat I done most upsot ebery time. But
I'll git you annuder cup ob watah, Flossie lamb!"

"And if you're going to upset, and fall down, Dinah, please do it where
we can see you," begged Freddie. "Nothing has happened since we got on
this train. Do upset, Dinah!"

"Yes, I want to see it, too," added Flossie. "Here, Freddie, you can
have my place at the window, and I'll take yours on the outside. Then I
can see Dinah better when the car upsets her."

"No, I want to sit here myself, Flossie. You wanted the window side, and
now you must stay there."

"No, I don't want to. I want to see Dinah upset in the aisle. Mamma,
make Freddie let me sit where I can see Dinah fall."

"Well, ob all t'ings!" gasped the fat, colored cook. "If you chilluns
t'ink dat I'se gwine t' upsot mahse'f so yo' kin see suffin t' laugh at,
den all I'se got t' say is I ain't gwine t' do it! No, sah! Not fo' one
minute!" And Dinah sat up very straight in her seat.

"Children, be nice now," begged Mother Bobbsey. "I know you are tired
with the long ride, but you'll soon hear the brakeman call out
'Lakeport'; and then we'll be home."

"I wish I were home now," said Freddie. "I want to get my dog Snap out
of the baggage car, and have some fun with him. I guess he's lonesome
for me."

"And he's lonesome for me, too!" cried Flossie. "He's as much my dog as
he is yours, Freddie Bobbsey. Isn't he, Mother?"

"Yes, dear, of course. I don't know what's the matter with you two
children. You never used to dispute this way."

"I guess the long train ride is tiring them," said Papa Bobbsey, looking
up from the paper he was reading.

"Anyhow, half of Snoop, our black cat, is mine then," said Freddie.
"Isn't she, Mother?"

"Yes. And now please don't talk like that any more. Look out of the
window and watch the trees shoot past."

"Oh, I'm going to see Snoop!" exclaimed Flossie, suddenly.

"So'm I," added Freddie. And in a moment the two children were bending
over a basket which was in the seat with Dinah. In the basket was Snoop,
the big black cat. She always traveled that way with the Bobbseys. And
she seemed very comfortable, for she was curled up on the blanket in the
bottom of the basket. Snoop opened her eyes as Freddie and Flossie put
their fingers through cracks and stroked her as well as they could.

"I wish Snap was in here with us," said Freddie, after a bit. "I hope he
gets a drink of water."

"Oh, I want a drink of water!" exclaimed Flossie, suddenly.