Produced by Gordon Keener
The Bobbsey Twins at the Seashore
Laura Lee Hope
CHAPTER I
CHASING THE DUCK
"Suah's yo' lib, we do keep a-movin'!" cried Dinah, as she climbedinto the big depot wagon.
"We didn't forget Snoop this time," exclaimed Freddie, following closeon Dinah's heels, with the box containing Snoop, his pet cat, whoalways went traveling with the little fellow.
"I'm glad I covered up the ferns with wet paper," Flossie remarked,"for this sun would surely kill them if it could get at them."
"Bert, you may carry my satchel," said Mrs. Bobbsey, "and be careful,as there are some glasses of jelly in it, you know."
"I wish I had put my hat in my trunk," remarked Nan. "I'm suresomeone will sit on this box and smash it before we get there."
"Now, all ready!" called Uncle Daniel, as he prepared to start oldBill, the horse.
"Wait a minute!" Aunt Sarah ordered. "There was another box, I'msure. Freddie, didn't you fix that blue shoe box to bring along?"
"Oh, yes, that's my little duck, Downy. Get him quick, somebody, he'son the sofa in the bay window!"
Bert climbed out and lost no time in securing the missing box.
"Now we are all ready this time," Mr. Bobbsey declared, while Billstarted on his usual trot down the country road to the depot.
The Bobbseys were leaving the country for the seashore. As told inour first volume, "The Bobbsey Twins," the little family consisted oftwo pairs of twins, Nan and Bert, age eight, dark and handsome, and aslike as two peas, and Flossie and Freddie, age four, as light as theothers were dark, and "just exactly chums," as Flossie alwaysdeclared.
The Bobbsey twins lived at Lakeport, where Mr. Richard Bobbsey hadlarge lumber yards. The mother and father were quite youngthemselves, and so enjoyed the good times that came as naturally assunshine to the little Bobbseys. Dinah, the colored maid, had beenwith the family so long the children at Lakeport called her DinahBobbsey, although her real name was Mrs. Sam Johnston, and herhusband, Sam, was the man of all work about the Bobbsey home.
Our first volume told all about the Lakeport home, and our secondbook, "The Bobbsey Twins in the Country," was the story of theBobbseys on a visit to Aunt Sarah and Uncle Daniel Bobbsey in theirbeautiful country home at Meadow Brook. Here Cousin Harry, a boyBert's age, shared all the sports with the family from Lakeport. Nowthe Lakeport Bobbseys were leaving Meadow Brook, to spend the month ofAugust with Uncle William and Aunt Emily Minturn at their seashorehome, called Ocean Cliff, located near the village of Sunset Beach.There they were also to meet their cousin, Dorothy Minturn, who wasjust a year older than Nan.
It was a beautiful morning, the very first day of August, that ourlittle party started off. Along the Meadow Brook road everybodycalled out "Good-by!" for in the small country place all the Bobbseyswere well known, and even those from Lakeport had many friends there.
Nettie Prentice, the one poor child in the immediate neighborhood (sheonly lived two farms away from Aunt Sarah), ran out to the wagon asUncle Daniel hurried old Bill to the depot.
"Oh, here, Nan!" she called. "Do take these flowers if you can carrythem. They are in wet cotton battin at the stems, and they won't fadea bit all day," and Nettie offered to Nan a gorgeous bouquet of lovelypure white, waxy lilies, that grow so many on a stalk and have such adelicious fragrance. Nettie's house was an old homestead, and theredelicate blooms crowded around the sitting-room window.
Nan let her hatbox down and took the flowers.
"These are lovely, Nettie," she exclaimed; "I'll take them, no matterhow I carry them. Thank you so much, and I hope I'll see you nextsummer."
"Yes, do come out again!" Nettie faltered, for she would miss Nan, thecity girl had always been so kind--even lent her one of her owndresses for the wonderful Fourth of July parade.
"Maybe you will come down to the beach on an excursion," called Nan,as Bill started off again with no time to lose.
"I don't think so," answered Nettie, for she had never been on anexcursion--poor people can rarely afford to spend money for suchpleasures.
"I've got my duck," called Freddie to the little girl, who had giventhe little creature to Freddie at the farewell party as a souvenir ofMeadow Brook.
"Have you?" laughed Nettie. "Give him plenty of water, Freddie, lethim loose in the ocean for a swim!" Then Nettie ran back to her homeduties.
"Queer," remarked Nan, as they hurried on. "The two girls I thoughtthe most of in Meadow Brook were poor: Nettie Prentice, and Nellie thelittle cash girl at the fresh-air camp. Somehow, poor girls seem soreal and they talk to you so close--I mean they seem to just speakright out of their eyes and hearts."
"That's what we call sincerity, daughter," said Mrs. Bobbsey. "Yousee, children who have trials learn to appreciate more keenly than we,who have everything we need. That appreciation shows in their eyes,and so they seem closer to you, as you say."
"Oh! oh! oh!" screamed Freddie, "I think my duck is choked. He's gothis head out the hole. Take Snoop, quick, Bert, till I get Downy inagain," and the poor little fellow looked as scared as did the duckwith his "head out of the hole."
"He can't get it in again," cried Freddie, pushing gently on thelittle lump of down with the queer yellow bill--the duck's head. "Thehole ain't big enough and he'll surely choke in it."
"Tear the cardboard down," said Bert. "That's easy enough," and theolder brother, coming to the rescue, put his fingers under the chokingneck, gave the paper box a jerk, and freed poor Downy.
"When we get to the depot we will have to paste some paper over thetear," continued Bert, "or Downy will get out further next time."
"Here we are," called Uncle Daniel, pulling up to the old station.
"I'll attend to the baggage," announced Mr. Bobbsey, "while you folksall go to the farther end of the platform. Our car will stop there."
For a little place like Meadow Brook seven people getting on theExpress seemed like an excursion, and Dave, the lame old agent,hobbled about with some consequence, as he gave the man in the baggagecar instruction about the trunk and valises. During that briefperiod, Harry, Aunt Sarah, and Uncle Daniel were all busy with"good-byes": Aunt Sarah giving Flossie one kiss more, and Uncle Danieltossing Freddie up in the air in spite of the danger to Downy, theduck.
"All aboard!" called the conductor.
"Good-by!"
"Good-by!"
"Come and see us at Christmas!" called Bert to Harry.
"I may go down to the beach!" answered Harry while the train brakesflew off.
"We will expect you Thanksgiving," Mrs. Bobbsey nodded out the windowto Aunt Sarah.
"I'll come if I can," called back the other.
"Good-by! Good-by!"
"Now, let us all watch out for the last look at dear old MeadowBrook," exclaimed Nan, standing up by the window.
"Let Snoop see!" said Freddie, with his hand on the cover of thekitten's box.
"Oh, no!" called everybody at once. "If you let that cat out we willhave just as much trouble as we did coming up. Keep him in his box."
"He would like to see too," pouted Freddie. "Snoop liked MeadowBrook. Didn't you, Snoopy!" putting his nose close to the holes inthe box.
"I suppose by the time we come back from the beach Freddie will have aregular menagerie," said Bert, with a laugh. "He had a kitten first,now he has a kitten and a duck, and next he'll have a kitten, a duck,and a---"
"Sea-serpent," put in Freddie, believing that he might get such amonster if he cared to possess one.
"There goes the last of Meadow Brook," sighed Nan, as the trainrounded a curve and slowed up on a pretty bridge. "An
d we did havesuch a lovely time there!"
"Isn't it going to be just as nice at the ocean?" Freddie inquired,with some concern.
"We hope so," his mother replied, "but sister Nan always likes to begrateful for what she has enjoyed."
"So am I," insisted the little fellow, not really knowing what hemeant himself.
"I likes dis yere car de best," spoke up Dinah, looking around at theordinary day coach, the kind used in short journeys. "De red velvetseats seems de most homey," she went on, throwing her kinky head back,"and I likes to lean back wit'out tumbling ober."
"And there's more to see," agreed Bert. "In the Pullman cars thereare so few people and they're always---"
"Proud," put in Flossie.
"Yes, they seem so," declared her brother, "but see all the people inthis car, just eating and sleeping and enjoying themselves."
Now in our last book, "The Bobbsey Twins in the Country," we toldabout the trip to Meadow Brook in the Pullman car, and how Snoop, thekitten, got out of his box, and had some queer experiences. This timeour friends were traveling in the car with the ordinary passengers,and, of course, as Bert said, there was more to be seen and the sightswere different.
"It is splendid to have so much room," declared Mrs. Bobbsey, for Nanand Flossie had a big seat turned towards Bert and Freddie's, whileDinah had a seat all to herself (with some boxes of course), andMr. and Mrs. Bobbsey had another seat. The high-back, broad plushseats gave more room than the narrow, revolving chairs, besides, theday coach afforded so much more freedom for children.
"What a cute little baby!" exclaimed Nan, referring to a tiny totsleeping under a big white netting, across the aisle.
"We must be quiet," said Mrs. Bobbsey, "and let the little baby sleep.It is hard to travel in hot weather."
"Don't you think the duck should have a drink?" suggested Mr. Bobbsey."You have a little cup for him, haven't you, Freddie?"
"Yep!" answered Freddie, promptly, pulling the cover off Downy's box.
Instantly the duck flew out!
"Oh! oh! oh!" yelled everybody, as the little white bird went flyingout through the car. First he rested on the seat, then he tried toget through the window. Somebody near by thought he had him, but theduck dodged, and made straight for the looking glass at the end of thecar.
"Oh, do get him, somebody!" cried Freddie, while the other strangechildren in the car yelled in delight at the fun.
"He's kissing himself in the looking glass," declared one youngster,as the frightened little duck flapped his wings helplessly against themirror.
"He thinks it's another duck," called a boy from the back of the car,clapping his hands in glee.
Mr. Bobbsey had gone up carefully with his soft hat in his hand.Everybody stopped talking, so the duck would keep in its place.
Nan held Freddie and insisted on him not speaking a word.
Mr. Bobbsey went as cautiously as possible. One step more and hewould have had the duck.
He raised his hand with the open hat--and brought it down on thelooking glass!
The duck was now gazing down from the chandelier!
"Ha! ha! ha!" the boys laughed, "that's a wild duck, sure!"
"Who's got a gun!" the boy in the back hollered.
"Oh, will they shoot my duck!" cried Freddie, in real tears.
"No, they're only making fun," said Bert. "You keep quiet and we willget him all right."
By this time almost everyone in the car had joined in the duck hunt,while the frightened little bird seemed about ready to surrender.Downy had chosen the highest hanging lamps as his point of vantage,and from there he attempted to ward off all attacks of the enemy. Nomatter what was thrown at him he simply flew around the lamp.
As it was a warm day, chasing the duck was rather too vigorousexercise to be enjoyable within the close confines of a poorlyventilated car, but that bird had to be caught somehow.
"Oh, the net!" cried Bert, "that mosquito netting over there. Wecould stretch it up and surely catch him."
This was a happy thought. The baby, of course, was awake and joinedin the excitement, so that her big white mosquito netting was readilyplaced at the disposal of the duck hunters.
A boy named Will offered to help Bert.
"I'll hold one end here," said Will, "and you can stretch yoursopposite, so we will screen off half of the car, then when he comesthis way we can readily bag him."
Will was somewhat older than Bert, and had been used to hunting, sothat the present emergency was sport to him.
The boys now brought the netting straight across the car like a bigwhite screen, for each held his hands up high, besides standing on thearm of the car seats.
"Now drive him this way," called Bert to his father and the men whowere helping him.
"Shoo! Shoo! Shoo!" yelled everybody, throwing hats, books, andnewspapers at the poor lost duck.
"Shoo!" again called a little old lady, actually letting her blacksilk bag fly at the lamp.
Of course poor Downy had to shoo, right into the net!
Bert and Will brought up the four ends of the trap and Downy flopped.
"That's the time we bagged our game," laughed Will, while everybodyshouted and clapped, for it does not take much to afford realamusement to passengers, who are traveling and can see little but theother people, the conductor, and newspapers.
"We've got him at last," cried Freddie in real glee, for he loved thelittle duck and feared losing his companionship.
"And he will have to have his meals served in his room for the rest ofhis trip," laughed Mrs. Bobbsey, as the tired little Downy was oncemore put in his perforated box, along the side of the tin dipper ofwater, which surely the poor duck needed by this time.