CHAPTER XXI
THE FAT LADY'S LETTER
"Well," remarked Nan Bobbsey, a few days after it had become knownthat Danny Rugg was to blame for the fire in the boathouse, "I wishwe could find out, as easily as we found out about Danny, who hasour cat Snoop."
"So do I," added Flossie. "Poor Snoop! I do miss him so much."
"So do I!" exclaimed Freddie. "But Snap is a nice dog, and I guessI like dogs better than cats, anyhow."
"Why, Freddie Bobbsey!" cried Nan, "Don't you love Snoop any more?"
"Oh, yes, 'course I do, but then he isn't here to be loved, andSnap is."
"Yes, I guess that does make a difference," admitted Nan. "Iwonder if papa wouldn't let us go down to the railroad office andinquire once more about him? Maybe, as it's getting cold weathernow, Snoop will come in from the fields where he may have beenstaying ever since the railroad wreck."
"Let's ask," cried Freddie, always ready for action.
It was Saturday, and there was no school. Bert had gone off coastingon his new bob, but Nan did not want to go, her mother having askedher to stay and help with the dusting. But now the little bit ofhousework was over, and Nan was free.
"We'll go down to papa's office," she said to Flossie and Freddie,"and ask him if we can go to the railroad. I know one of the ticketagents and he can tell us of whom to ask about our cat."
Mrs. Bobbsey had no objections, and soon, with Flossie and Freddieat her side, Nan set off for her father's office in the lumberyard. The smaller twins were delighted.
"And maybe we can find our silver cup, too," suggested Freddie,as he trudged along in the snow, now and then stopping to make awhite ball which he threw at the fence or telegraph pole.
"The fat lady has our cup--I'm sure of that," said Flossie.
"Well, we can ask papa if he has heard from the circus people,"suggested Nan.
Mr. Bobbsey was rather surprised to see his three children comeinto the office, but he was glad to meet them, for it made a breakin his day's work. After a little thought he said they might goto the railroad office to inquire about Snoop. Nan and her brotherand sister went in a trolley car, and were soon at the depot.
But to their disappointment there was no news of Snoop. The fat,black cat seemed to have completely disappeared.
"I've had the switchmen and trackmen keep a lookout for some timepast," the agent told Nan, for Mr. Bobbsey did a large businessin shipping lumber over the railroad, and many of the men were hisfriends. "One of the switchmen near where the wreck was, caughta lot of cats, that must have been living out in the fields allSummer," went on the agent, "but they were all sorts of colors. Nonewas pure black, so I knew they could not be yours. I'm sorry."
"Yes, so are we," replied Nan. "Well, I guess Snoop is lost forgood. He has been away a long time now."
On the way back to Mr. Bobbsey's office the trolley car got off thetrack, on account of so much snow on the rails, and the childrenspent some time watching the men get it back, the electricity fromthe wire and rails making pretty flashes of blue fire.
"What luck?" asked Mr. Bobbsey, as the three came in his privateoffice, their faces shining and red with the glow of winter.
"None," said Nan sadly. "Snoop is gone."
"Have you heard from the circus fat lady yet, papa?" asked Flossie.
"Yes, we want our cup back," added her brother.
"No word yet," answered Mr. Bobbsey. "That circus is traveling allover Cuba, and the letters I sent never seem to catch up to them.However, I am sending one on ahead now, to a city where they willsoon give a show. The fat lady will find it there waiting for her,and she may answer then."
And with this the children had to be content. Getting back home,Flossie and Freddie took out their sleds and went for a coast ona small hill, not far from their home. This was where the smallerchildren had their fun, leaving the larger hill for the biggergirls and boys.
"Well, after this I think we all need something to cheer us up,"said Papa Bobbsey, who came home from the office early that day.
"Oh, have you got something good?" asked Nan, for she saw a queerlittle twinkle in her father's eyes, and she knew that this generallymeant a treat of some kind.
"I have some good news, if you would like to hear it," he said, ashe drew a letter from his pocket.
"Is it to tell that some of our friends are coming to see us?"asked Bert.
"Well, yes, I think you will call it a visit from a friend--at leastpart of it," said Papa Bobbsey. "Now listen. This is a letter fromthe fat lady in the circus."
"What!" cried Flossie--"the one who has our cup?"
"The same," said Mr. Bobbsey with a smile. "And she has more thanyour cup. Listen," and he read the letter.
It was too long to put it all in here, but it went on to say howthe fat lady really had the valuable silver cup belonging to thetwins.
"They loaned it to me to drink from," she wrote, "and when thetrain stopped so suddenly, there was so much confusion that I putit in my valise by mistake. I have had it ever since and have beenwondering how I could send it back to you. The circus went to Cubasoon after that, and has been traveling around that island eversince. I have only just received your last letter asking me aboutthe cup, or I would have answered before. If you will send medirections how to ship the cup to you I shall be very glad to returnit."
"Oh goodie!" cried Freddie. "We'll have our nice cup again!"
"Is that all in the letter, papa?" asked Flossie.
"No, not quite," he said. "I'll read a little more," and he read:
"'When our circus was wrecked we lost a valuable trick dog. He couldplay soldier, say his prayers, turn somersaults, and do a numberof tricks. The ringmaster feels very badly about losing him, andhas tried to locate him, but without success. If you should hearof anyone near you having such a dog we would be much obliged ifyou would send him to us, as he belongs to the circus.'"
There was a moment of silence after Bobbsey read this, and thenFreddie said:
"Why that must be Snap--our pet dog! Oh, papa you won't give himback to the circus; will you?"
CHAPTER XXII
SNAP AND SNOOP
All of the Bobbsey twins--Nan, Bert, Flossie and Freddie--lookedso serious over the prospect of losing Snap that Mr. Bobbsey hadto laugh. He just couldn't help it.
"Well, I don't see anything to make fun over," said Nan, with alittle pout.
"Why, you all act as though you had lost your best friend--or weregoing to."
"Well, Snap _is_ one of our best friends, aren't you Snap?"said Freddie.
"Still, if he belongs to the circus I don't see but what I'll haveto send him back," went on Mr. Bobbsey, slowly.
At this Flossie burst into tears, and Mrs. Bobbsey, putting herarms about the little girl, said to her husband:
"Are you in earnest Richard? Don't tease the child."
"I'm not, Mary. The fat lady wrote just that. I believe the dog wehave does belong to the circus."
"Then we'll have to give him up I suppose," and Mrs. Bobbsey sighed,for she had grown very much attached to the fine animal.
"Well, we won't have to send him back right away," said Mr. Bobbsey."I will have to get more particulars. But I did not finish the fatlady's letter."
"What! Is there more news in it?" asked Nan.
"Listen," said Mr. Bobbsey, as he went on reading:
"'We are sorry about losing our trick dog,' the fat lady wrote,'but I picked up a big black cat when I walked out of the train. Ibrought him to Cuba with me, and I am teaching him tricks. He maybe as valuable as our dog was.'"
"A black cat!" cried Nan.
"It's our Snoop!" shouted Freddie, "yes, that's it! The fat ladyhas our cat as well as our cup! Oh, papa, make her give back ourSnoop!"
Mr. Bobbsey laughed.
"You see how it is," he said. "She has our cat, and we have theirdog. We'll have to give up our dog to get our cat."
The Bobbsey twins had not thought of this before.
They lookedstrangely at one another.
"Papa!" cried Freddie, jumping up and down in his excitement, "can'twe keep both--the circus dog and our cat? Oh, do please, let us."
"But maybe Snap would fight Snoop," said Flossie. "We wouldn't wantthat."
Freddie thought for a moment.
"I don't believe he would," he said at last.
"Well," said Papa Bobbsey, after a bit, "I'll see what I can do.I'll write to the fat lady, telling her how to ship your silvercup, and also how to send Snoop. And I'll ask if we can buy Snap.How will that do?"
"Fine!" cried all the Bobbsey twins at once, and they made a rushfor Mr. Bobbsey, hugging and kissing him.
The letter was sent to the fat lady, and then came a time of anxiouswaiting. Never before had the children seemed to care so much forSnap.
One day a letter came, saying that the silver cup had been sent,and also Snoop, the cat.
"But what about Snap, papa?" asked Nan.
"Does she say the circus will sell him?"
"No, the man who owns him is away for a few days. When he comesback he will let me know. But, anyhow, you will have your cup andcat back."
"But we want Snap, too!" said Flossie.
Several more days passed. They lengthened into a week, and stillno news came from where the circus was: All the Bobbsey twins couldhope was that their cat and cup were on the way, and that the manwho owned Snap would consent to sell him.
The twins did not feel much like having fun. There was a warm spell,and all the snow had melted.
One day an express wagon stopped in front of the Bobbsey house.
It was a Saturday, and there was no school, and, as it happened,all four of the twins were in.
"Two boxes for you, Mrs. Bobbsey," said the driver, as he openedhis receipt book. "I'll bring them in while you sign."
The man came up the walk with two boxes. One was small, andthe other larger, with slats on one end. And from this box came apeculiar noise.
"Listen!" cried Bert.
"It's a cat!" shouted Freddie.
"It's Snoop--our Snoop!" cried Flossie.
Quickly the boxes were carried into the house. Bert got a hammerand screw driver and soon had opened the one containing the blackcat. Snap, the dog, walked slowly into the room.
"Oh dear!" cried Flossie as she saw him, "now maybe they'll fight!"
"I'll hold Snap," volunteered Freddie.
"Come on, Snoop! Come out!" cried Bert, as he pried off the lastslat.
"Meouw!" cried Snoop, as he came slowly out of the box in which hehad ridden from Cuba.
Out walked the black cat. He looked about him strangely for a moment,and then began to purr, and rubbed up against Flossie's legs.
They all looked anxiously at Snap. The dog glanced at the cat,stretched lazily and wagged his tail. Snoop came over to him, andthe two animals sniffed at each other, Mrs. Bobbsey holding Snapby the collar. Then, to the surprise of all, Snoop rubbed againstthe legs of the dog, and, on his part, Snap, wagging his tailin friendly, welcoming fashion, put out his red tongue and lickedSnoop's fur.
"He's kissing Snoop! He's kissing Snoop!" cried Freddie.
"Yes, they love each other!" exclaimed Flossie. "They are not goingto fight! Oh, how glad I am!" and she danced in delight.
"Oh, if only we can keep Snap now," said Nan, while Mrs. Bobbsey,satisfied that the two animals would be friends, had opened the otherexpress box. It contained the twins' silver cup, so long missing.
Mr. Bobbsey came home soon after that. His face was smiling.
"Oh, papa!" Flossie greeted him, "Snoop came, and Snap kissed him!"
"May we keep Snap, papa?" asked Freddie.
"Yes," was Mr. Bobbsey's answer. "I have a letter from the circusman, and he will sell Snap to me. I have already sent the money.And there is another letter from the fat lady, telling about someof the new tricks she taught Snoop, so you can make him do them."
"Oh! Oh! Oh!" cried the Bobbsey twins in delight, as they lookedat their two pets.
"What lots of things have happened since we came back from theseashore," said Nan, a little later. "I wonder if the rest of theWinter will be as lively as this first part has been?"
"Maybe," said Bert with a smile.
And whether it was or not you may learn by reading the next volumeof this series, to be called: "The Bobbsey Twins at Snow Lodge,"in which we will once more hear of the doings of Flossie, Freddie,Nan and Bert.
After reading the fat lady's second letter the twins got Snoop todo some of the tricks the cat had learned. He was not as smart atthem as Snap was at his, but then cats never do learn to do tricksas well as do dogs.
Still everyone agreed that the fat lady had done her trainingwell. As for Snap, he and Snoop became firmer friends every day,and often the cat went to sleep on Snap's back, or between hisforepaws as he lay stretched out in front of the fire.
And the silver cup, which, with Snoop, had gone on such a longjourney, was put back in its place on the mantle, to be admired byall.
Now my little story has come to an end, but I hope you childrenwho have read it will care to hear more of the Bobbsey twins andthe things they did. So I will say good-bye for a while, trustingto meet you all again.
THE END
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