The Bobbsey Twins at Snow Lodge

  CHAPTER XII

  THE LETTERS

  The day after Christmas, when Bert and Nan came home from having been tosee a number of their friends, but not having succeeded in getting anyof them to promise to make the trip to Snow Lodge, the two older Bobbseytwins were quite discouraged.

  "I'll need another fellow to help me sail the ice-boat," spoke Bert. "Ofcourse I know you'll do all you can, Nan, but we can't tell what mighthappen. I don't see what's the matter with all the fellows, anyhow, thatthey can't go."

  "And the girls, too," added Nan. "I couldn't get one of them to promise.And I don't know whether mamma and papa will let you and me go in theice-boat by ourselves."

  And, when they heard of this plan, both Mr. and Mrs. Bobbsey objected toit.

  "It would be too risky," decided Mr. Bobbsey. "Your ice-boat is a smallone. I know, Bert, but in a stiff wind it might capsize if you did nothave some other boy along to help you manage it. I guess you and Nan hadbetter come with us in the big sled."

  "I think so, too," added Mrs. Bobbsey.

  There seemed to be no other way out of it, and Nan and Bert felt quitebadly. Not even the tricks of Snap and Snoop, when Freddie and Flossieput the dog and cat through them before going to bed, would cause theirolder brother and sister to look happy.

  "Never mind," said Mamma Bobbsey, "when we get to Snow Lodge you'll havesuch a good time that you won't mind not having made the trip on skatesor on the ice-boat. And you can skate all you like when you get upthere."

  The next day Freddie was playing quite a game. He had a little toyvillage, made of pasteboard houses, and this he had set up in theplayroom. He was pretending that a fire had broken out in one of thedwellings and he was going to put it out with his toy engine. Of coursethere was not even a match on fire, for Mrs. Bobbsey was very carefulabout this, but Freddie pretended to his heart's content. He was allowedto have real water, but Dinah had spread on the floor an old rubber coatso that the spray would do no harm.

  With a great shout Freddie came running out of the "engine house," whichwas a chair turned on its side. He was pulling his toy after him, racingto the make-believe blaze.

  Just then Flossie came into the room with her new walking doll, and, notseeing her, Freddie ran into and knocked her over.

  Flossie sat down quite hard, and for a moment was too surprised to cry.But a moment later, when she saw Freddie's fire engine run over her newdoll, which cried out "Mamma!" as if in pain, the tears came intoFlossie's eyes.

  "Oh, you bad boy!" she exclaimed, forgetting her own pain, at the sightof her doll, "you've run right over her!"

  "I--I couldn't help it!" said Freddie, stopping in his rush to the fireto pick up his sister's toy. "You got right in my way."

  "I did not--Freddie Bobbsey!"

  "Yes, you did, too, and I'm going to squirt water on you, and put youout. You're on fire! Your cheeks are all red!"

  This was true enough. Flossie did get very red cheeks when she wasexcited.

  "Don't you put any water on me!" she cried. "I'll tell mamma on you! Andyou've broke my best doll, too! Oh, dear!" and Flossie burst into tears,so there was no need for Freddie to use his toy engine to wet herflaming cheeks.

  This frightened Freddie. He seldom made his twin sister cry, and he wasvery much alarmed.

  "I--I didn't mean to, Flossie," he said, putting his arms around her. "Iguess I was running pretty fast. Don't cry, and you can squirt myengine. Maybe if you squirted some water on your doll she'd be allright," and Freddie picked up the talking toy.

  "Don't you dare put any water on her!" screamed Flossie. "You'll makeher catch cold, and then she won't talk at all, Oh, dear! I wish youdidn't have that old engine."

  Mrs. Bobbsey came into the room just then, or there is no telling whatmight have happened. She knew what to do, and soon she had straightenedout matters. It was not very often that Flossie and Freddie had troubleof this kind, but they were only human children, just like any others,and they had their little disputes now and then.

  "Oh, dear! This will never do!" said Mrs. Bobbsey. "Freddie, you mustnot rush about the house so fast."

  "But, mamma, firemens is always fast. They have to be fast, and I wasgoing to a fire," the fat little fellow said.

  "I know, dear, but you should look where you are going. And, Flossie,dear, you must watch out before you rush into a room, you know."

  "Yes, mamma, but, you see, I was pretending my doll was sick, and I wasrunning to the doctor's with her."

  "Oh, dear!" cried Mamma Bobbsey. "You were both in too much of a hurry,I think. Never mind. Let's see if the doll is hurt, much."

  It seemed that she was, for though she would walk across the room whenwound up, she would not cry out "Mamma!" But Mrs. Bobbsey was used tomending broken toys, and after poking about in the wheels and springswith a hairpin she soon had the doll so it would talk again. ThenFlossie was happy, and her tears were forgotten.

  Freddie said he was sorry he had been in such a hurry, so all wasforgiven, and he went on playing fireman. He was in the midst of puttingout a make-believe blaze in the village church when the doorbell rang,and the postman's whistle was heard.

  "Will you get the mail, dear?" asked Mrs. Bobbsey of Freddie. "Dinah isbusy, I'm sure. Let me see how mamma's little fat fireman can get theletters. But don't run!" she exclaimed, "or you might fall downstairs."

  "I won't, mamma," said Freddie.

  He came back with several letters, and he was again playing he was afireman, and Flossie was making believe she was a doctor for her sickdoll, when Mrs. Bobbsey exclaimed:

  "Oh, this will be good news for Bert," and she looked up from a lettershe was reading.

  "What is it, mamma?" asked Flossie. "Is someone sending him moreChristmas presents?"

  "No, dear, but Harry, your cousin from the country, you know, is comingto visit us. Bert will have someone to play with. Won't that be nice?"

  "And can I play with him, too?" asked Freddie.

  "I guess so, sometimes," said Mrs. Bobbsey. "But you must remember thatHarry is about ten years old, and he won't always want to be with littleboys."

  "I'm a big boy!" declared Freddie. "I'm 'most as big as Bert."

  "Well, I guess you can have some fun," said Mrs. Bobbsey. "Bert will beglad to hear this. Now, who can this other letter be from?" and she toreopen the envelope.

  "Why!" she cried, as she quickly read it "It's from Uncle WilliamMinturn, at the seashore, and he says his daughter Dorothy is coming topay us a visit. Well, did you ever! Our two cousins--one from thecountry and the other from the seashore--both coming at the same time!Oh, this will please Bert and Nan!"

  "And can't we have a good time, too?" asked Flossie.

  "Of course," said Mrs. Bobbsey. "Let me see now; how will I arrange therooms for them? Oh, I forgot, we're going to Snow Lodge soon. I wonderwhat I can do? Both Dorothy and Harry will be here before I can tellthem not to come. I must telephone to papa!"

  Bert and Nan came in just then, in time to hear this last.

  "Telephone to papa!" exclaimed Bert "What's the matter, mother? Hasanything happened?"

  "Nothing, only your cousins, Dorothy and Harry, are coming to visit you.And I don't know what to do about it, as we are going to Snow Lodge!"

  "Do about it?" cried Bert. "Why, we won't do anything about it, exceptto let them come. Say, this is the best news yet! Harry can go with meon the ice-boat. Hurray! Hurray!"

  "Yes, and Dorothy and I can skate on the lake!" said Nan. "Oh, how gladI am!"

  "We'll take them both to Snow Lodge!" cried Bert. "Now we won't have tolook for any other boys or girls. Well have our own cousins! Whoop!" andhe threw his arms around his mother, while Nan tried to kiss her.Flossie and Freddie looked on in pleased surprise. The letters had comejust in time. Now there would be a jolly party at Snow Lodge.