CHAPTER XXI
GOOD-BY
"I don't know how to say good-by to you," Nellie told Dorothy and Nannext morning. "To think how kind you have been to me, and howsplendidly it has all turned out! Now father is home again, I canhardly believe it! Mother told me last night she was going to putback what money she had to use out of my prize, the fifty dollars youknow, and I am to make it a gift to the Fresh Air Fund."
"Oh, that will be splendid!" declared Nan. "Perhaps they will buyanother tent with it, for they need more room out at Meadow Brook."
"You are quite rich now, aren't you?" remarked Dorothy. "I supposeyour father will buy a big house, and maybe next time we meet you,you will put on airs and walk like this?" and Dorothy went up and downthe room like the pictures of Cinderella's proud sisters.
"No danger," replied Nellie, whose possible tears at parting had beenquickly chased away by the merry Dorothy. "But I hope we will have anice home, for mother deserves it, besides I am just proud enough towant to entertain a few young ladies, among them Miss Nan Bobbsey andMiss Dorothy Minturn."
"And we will be on hand, thank you," replied the joking Dorothy. "Besure to have ice cream and chocolates--I want some good freshchocolates. Those we get down here always seem soft and salty, likethe spray."
"Come, Nellie," called Mrs. McLaughlin, "I am ready. Where is yourhat?"
"Oh, yes, mother, I'm coming!" replied Nellie.
Bert had the donkey cart hitched and there was now no time to spare.Nellie kissed Freddie and Flossie affectionately, and promised tobring the little boy all through a big city, real fire-engine housewhen he came to see her.
"And can I ring the bell and make the horses jump?" he asked.
"We might be able to manage that, too," Nellie told him. "My uncle isa fireman and he can take us through his engine house."
Nan went to the station with her friends, and when the last good-byswere said and the train steamed out, the twins turned back again tothe Minturn Cottage.
"Our turn next," remarked Bert, as he pulled the donkeys into thedrive.
"Yes, it seems it is nothing but going and coming all the time. Iwonder if all the other girls will be home at Lakeport in time for thefirst day of school?" said Nan.
"Most of them, I guess," answered Bert. "Well, we have had a goodvacation, and I am willing to go to work again."
"So am I!" declared Nan. "Vacation was just long enough, I think."
Mr. Bobbsey was down from the city, of course, to take the familyhome, and now all hands, even Freddie and Flossie, were busy packingup. There were the shells to be looked after, the fish nets, besidesDowny, the duck, and Snoop, the cat.
"And just to add one more animal to your menagerie," said UncleWilliam, "I have brought you a little goldfinch. It will singbeautifully for you, and be easy to carry in its little wooden cage.Then, I have ordered, sent directly to your house, a large cage forhim to live in, so he will have plenty of freedom, and perhapsChristmas you may get some more birds to put in the big house, to keepDick company."
Of course Freddie was delighted with the gift, for it was really abeautiful little bird, with golden wings, and a much prettier pet thana duck or a cat, although he still loved his old friends.
The day passed very quickly with all that was crowded into it: thelast ocean bath taking up the best part of two hours, while a sail inHal's canoe did away with almost as much, more time. Dorothy gave Nana beautiful little gold locket with her picture in it, and Flossiereceived the dearest little real shell pocketbook ever seen. HalBingham gave Bert a magnifying glass, to use at school in chemistry orphysics, so that every one of the Bobbseys received a suitablesouvenir of Sunset Beach.
"You-uns must be to bed early and not go sleep in de train," insistedDinah, when Freddie and Flossie pleaded for a little more time on theveranda that evening. "Come along now; Dinah hab lots to do too," andwith her little charges the good-natured colored girl hobbled off,promising to tell Freddie how Nellie's father and Hal's uncle were toget into port again when they set out to sea, instead of trying to getthe big boat into land at Sunset Beach.
And so our little friends had spent all their vacation.
The last night at the seashore was passed, and the early morning foundthem once more traveling away--this time for dear old home, sweethome.
"If we only didn't have to leave our friends," complained Nan,brushing back a tear, as the very last glint of Cousin Dorothy'syellow head passed by the train window.
"I hope we will meet them all soon again," said Nan's mother. "It isnot long until Thanksgiving. Then, perhaps, we can give a realharvest party out at Lakeport and try to repay our friends for some oftheir hospitality to us."
"Well, I like Hal Bingham first-rate," declared Bert, thinking of thefriend from whom he had just parted.
"There goes the last of the ocean. Look!" called Flossie, as thetrain made a turn, and whistled a good-by to the Bobbsey Twins at theSeashore.
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