CHAPTER VI
HAPPY DAYS COMING
When Dinah called in this fashion, with worry making itself heard in hervoice, Mrs. Bobbsey always hurried to see what the matter was. Generallyit was something the smaller Bobbsey twins had done. And as she knewFlossie and Freddie were now in the kitchen, Mother Bobbsey feared oneof the smaller children had been hurt.
"What is it, Dinah?" asked the mother, as she hurried back toward thehouse. Bert and Nan, with their father, waiting only a moment, followedMrs. Bobbsey.
"I should think Freddie and Flossie would have had enough fun at thepicnic not to want to do any more cutting up," remarked Nan.
"You never can tell what those tykes will do," observed Bert. "I don'thear either of 'em yelling, and that's a good sign."
But just as he spoke there came a wail from the kitchen, which, by thistime, Mrs. Bobbsey had reached, disappearing within.
"That's Flossie," said Nan.
Again came the voice of a little child, crying either in fear or indelight at some funny happening, it could not be told which.
"There goes Freddie, letting off steam," said Bert. "I guess it isn'tanything very much. Freddie always laughs in that squealing way whensomething tickles him."
Mr. Bobbsey, with the two older twins, entered the kitchen soon afterMrs. Bobbsey. There stood Flossie and Freddie before a low kitchentable, one leaf of which was down, so that whatever was under could notbe seen very well, on account of the shadow cast by the electric light.And beside Flossie and Freddie stood Dinah.
"What's the matter?" asked Mr. Bobbsey.
"Dinah says Snoop, our cat, has caught some sort of animal and has itunder the table," said Mrs. Bobbsey.
"It's a big animal and it's got fur on," declared Flossie, greatlyexcited.
"An' it's got yellow eyes and four legs an' it's long--it's as long asmy arm!" added Freddie, his eyes big with wonder. "Oh, it was awfulfunny!" he went on, squealing with delight. "I saw Snoop drag it underthe table and I called Dinah. Didn't I, Dinah?"
"Dat's whut yo' done, honey lamb! Ah don't know whut it is Snoop has,Mis' Bobbsey," went on the colored cook, "but it's some sort o'animile!"
"And Snoop growled, he did, when he dragged it under the table!"exclaimed Flossie. "I heard Snoop growl, I did! Listen!"
Surely enough the cat growled again, just as a lion or a tiger in thejungle would growl after catching its dinner--only not so loud, ofcourse.
"Oh!" murmured Flossie, making a dive for her mother's skirts.
"There! Look! I saw its tail!" cried Freddie.
As he spoke just a flash of some furry animal was seen under the tablewhere Snoop had gone to hide.
"I hope it isn't a little skunk!" exclaimed Mrs. Bobbsey.
"Don't worry!" advised her husband. "If it was a young skunk that Snoophad, you'd have known it long before this. And Snoop never would try tocatch a skunk--Snoop would know better."
"But what is it? He has something!" insisted Mrs. Bobbsey.
"Maybe I can coax Snoop out," put in Nan. "He minds me better than hedoes any one else. Here, Snoop! Come on out, nice Snoop!" she called ina gentle voice.
But Snoop only growled in answer, and seemed to be shaking, beneath thetable, the unknown animal he had caught and dragged there.
"Shall I get the rake and pull him out?" asked Bert.
"No, you might hurt him," replied Mr. Bobbsey. "Go out to the garage andget the big flash lamp from Sam. I can shine that under the table and wecan see what it is before we do anything. Evidently Snoop isn't going tocome out until he gets ready. And it may be he has a large rat or----"
Dinah gave a scream.
"Oh--a rat!" she cried.
"Maybe it's only a little mouse--I like a funny little mouse," saidFlossie.
"Well, I don't," said Dinah. "They eats mah food."
"Maybe it's only a little mole from the garden," went on Mr. Bobbsey.
"It's bigger'n a ground mole!" declared Freddie. "I saw it, an' it'slong and brown and has legs an' brown eyes that shine."
"Well, whatever it is it can't be very dangerous," said Mr. Bobbsey. "Ifit was, Snoop never would have dared to get it. But I don't want toreach under there in the dark and perhaps get bitten and scratched bySnoop, or whatever he has. We'll wait for the flash light."
Bert now came running in with this, Sam following when he heard that thecat had something strange under the table in the kitchen.
"Dey suah am lots ob t'ings happenin' dis day," observed Sam.
Mr. Bobbsey flashed the light under the table. The four twins hadstooped down to get a better view, and Freddie cried:
"I see its eyes shining!"
"I can see its tail! Oh, no, that's Snoop's tail!" added Flossie.
"Snoop, what have you there? Stop growling and give it to me!" demandedMr. Bobbsey, thrusting his hand under the table.
"Be careful," advised his wife. "It may bite."
Mr. Bobbsey laughed and thrust his hand farther under the table. Therewas a little scuffle as Snoop tried to hold fast to what he had. Heclung so hard to it with teeth and claws that he was dragged over thesmooth linoleum on the floor.
"Here's your wild beast!" cried Mr. Bobbsey, as he arose, and heldsomething covered with brown fur dangling from one hand.
"What is it?" asked Mrs. Bobbsey. "That's not a rat."
"No, it's your fur neck piece," her husband said, with a laugh.
"Oh, I wore it to the picnic, for I thought it would be cool cominghome," said Mrs. Bobbsey, as she took the piece of fur. "And I laid iton the hall table. I forgot about Snoop. He must have seen it, thoughtit was a strange animal, and carried it away with him. Oh, Snoop!" andshe shook her finger at the cat which, now that it had nothing to playwith, came out from beneath the table.
"It does look like an animal," said Nan.
And indeed the fur piece did. For it was fashioned with an imitation ofan animal's head, with yellow glass eyes. The fur piece was quite longand four little legs were fastened to it. So that it is no wonder a cat,or even a boy or a girl, at first look, would take it for somethingreal.
"Well, Snoop had a good time with it, while it lasted," said Mr.Bobbsey, with a laugh.
"And my fur wouldn't have lasted much longer with him, if he'd startedto claw and bite it," remarked Mrs. Bobbsey. "I'm glad you called me in,Dinah."
"Yessum, Ah thought maybe yo'd better see what the cat had, 'cause Ahcouldn't make out what 'twas," the cook answered.
"Well, now that the excitement is over, we'd better have supper," saidMr. Bobbsey. "Or did you youngsters have enough at the picnic to lastuntil morning?"
"We want to eat now!" decided Bert. "That wasn't so much we had at thepicnic."
"I guess you were extra hungry, from being out of doors all day," hismother said. "Well, supper will soon be ready."
As they ate they talked over the fun they had had at Pine Grove, andFlossie remarked:
"I'm going to ride on a wooden lion, I am--on the merry-go-round. I'mgoing to ride on the lion."
"So'm I," declared Freddie. "There are two lions, an' I'm going to rideon one an' Flossie on the other one."
"Where's your merry-go-round?" asked Nan.
"At the fair--the Bolton County Fair," said Freddie. "I heard that funnyred-faced man say so."
"But the Bolton Fair is a long way off," went on Nan.
"Daddy will take us; won't you?" asked Flossie. "Can't we go to thefair and ride on the merry-go-round?" she teased.
"Well, I don't know," answered Mr. Bobbsey slowly. "I suppose it wouldbe a good thing to visit a big county fair, and this is one of thelargest."
"But we'd have to go and stay for some time," said Mrs. Bobbsey. "Boltonis a long way off. We couldn't go and come the same day."
"One ought to spend more than a day at a big fair if he wants to seeeverything," went on Mr. Bobbsey. "I never could stay as long as Iwanted to when I was a boy. Now, I was thinking perhaps we could all goto Meadow Brook Farm for a little visit. From M
eadow Brook it isn't farto the Bolton County Fair."
"Oh, let's go!" cried Bert and Nan.
"What about school?" asked their mother.
"School doesn't open until later this fall than usual," explained Mr.Bobbsey. "They are repairing the school house and the work will not befinished in time for the regular fall opening. I know, for the schoolboard buys lumber of me.
"So, as long as the children don't have to be back until the middle ofOctober, we could all go to Meadow Brook, and from there visit the fair.Would you like that?" he asked his wife.
"I think it would be lovely!"
"So do I!" echoed the Bobbsey twins.
"Well, then, we'll think about it," promised their father. "You willhave some happy days to think about until it is time to go. And now Ithink it is time for my little Fairy and my brave Fireman to go to bed."Daddy Bobbsey sometimes called the small twins by these pet names. "Comeon! Up to bed!" he called. "We'll talk more about the Bolton County Fairanother day!"
As he was carrying the smaller children up to bed, a style of travel thelittle twins loved, there came a ring at the front door bell. Dinah, whoanswered, came back to say:
"Dere's a p'liceman outside whut wants to see yo', Mr. Bobbsey."
"A policeman?"
"Yas, sah!"
"A policeman for me?"
"Yas, sah!"
"Dear me!" Mr. Bobbsey murmured. "What can be the matter now!"
"Oh, Daddy!" squealed Flossie, at once filled with excitement.
"What do you suppose----" began Bert, and then stopped in the midst ofhis speech.
"Maybe he has found your lost coat," suggested Nan, as her father putFlossie and Freddie down in an easy chair.