CHAPTER XIII
A STRAY CAT
MR. BOBBSEY, who was standing near Bert and Nan, turned quickly as heheard his wife call and ran around to her side.
"What's the matter?" he called. "Has Flossie fallen?"
But one look was enough to show him that the two little Bobbsey twinsand their mother were all right. But Flossie was without her hat, andshe had been wearing a pretty one with little pink roses on it.
"What happened?" asked Mr. Bobbsey, while one of the men who stay insidethe Monument at the top, to see that no accidents happen, came around toinquire if he could be of any help.
"It's Flossie's hat," explained Mrs. Bobbsey. "She was taking it off, asshe said the rubber band hurt her, when a puff of wind came along---""And it just blowed my hat right away!" cried Flossie. "It just blowedit right out of my hand, and it went out of the window, my hat did! Andnow I haven't any more hat, and I'll--I'll--an'--an'--"
Flossie burst into tears.
"Never mind, little fat fairy!" her father comforted her, as he put hisarms around her. "Daddy will get you another hat."
"But I want that one!" sobbed Flossie. "It has such pretty roses on it,an' I liked 'em, even if they didn't smell!"
"I guess the little girl's hat will be all right when you get down onthe ground," said the monument man. "Many people lose their hats uphere, and unless it's a man's stiff one, or unless it's raining orsnowing, little harm comes to them. I guess your little girl's hat justfluttered to the ground like a bird, and you can pick it up again."
"Do you think so?" asked Mrs. Bobbsey.
"Oh, you'll get her hat back again, ma'am, I'm sure," the man said."There's lots of boys and young men who stay around the monument, hopingfor a chance to earn a stray dime or so by showing visitors around orcarrying something. One of them probably saw the hat flutter out of thewindow, and somebody will pick it up."
"Well, let's go down and see," suggested Mr. Bobbsey. "I think we havehad all the view we want."
"Don't cry, Flossie," whispered Nan consolingly, as she took her littlesister by the hand. "We'll get your hat back again."
"And the roses, too?" Flossie asked.
"Yes, the roses and everything," her mother told her.
"If I were a big, grown-up fireman, I could climb down and get Flossie'shat," said Freddie. "That's what firemans do. They climb up and down bigplaces and get things--and people," the little boy added after a momentof thought.
"Well, I don't want my little fireman climbing down WashingtonMonument," said Mr. Bobbsey. "It's safer to go down in the elevator."
And, a little later, the Bobbsey twins and their father and mother wereback on the ground again. Once outside the big stone shaft, they saw aboy come running up with Flossie's hat in his hand.
"Oh, look! Look!" cried the little girl. "There it is! There it is!"
"Is this your hat?" the small boy wanted to know. "I saw it blow out ofthe window, and I chased it and chased it. I was afraid maybe it wouldblow into the river."
"It was very nice of you," said Mr. Bobbsey, and he gave the boytwenty-five cents, which pleased that small chap very much.
Flossie's hat was a little dusty, but the pink roses were not soiled,and soon she was wearing it again. Then, smiling and happy, she wasready to go with the others to the next sight-seeing place.
"Where now?" asked Bert, as they started away from the little hill onwhich the Monument stands.
"I think we'll go to the Smithsonian Museum," said his father. "Thereare a few things I want to see, though you children may not be very muchinterested. Then I want to take your mother to the art gallery and afterthat--well, we'll see what happens next," and he smiled at the Bobbseytwins.
"I know it will be something nice!" exclaimed Nan.
"I hope it's something good to eat!" murmured Bert. "I'm hungry!"
"I'd like to see a fire!" cried Freddie. "Do they ever have fires inWashington, Daddy?"
"Oh, yes, big ones, sometimes. But we really don't want to see any,because a fire means danger and trouble for people."
"And wettings, too," put in Flossie. "Sometimes when Freddie plays firehe gets me wet."
"Well, I'm goin' to be a fireman when I grow up," declared Freddie. "AndI wish I had my little fire engine now, 'cause I don't like it not tohave any fun."
"We'll have some fun this afternoon," his father promised him.
Just as Mr. Bobbsey had expected, the children were not much amused inthe art gallery or the museum. But Mrs. Bobbsey liked these places, and,after all, as Nan said, they wanted their mother to have a good time onthis Washington trip.
After lunch they went again to call on the Martins, as Mr. Bobbsey hadto see the father of Billy and Nell on business.
"And where are we going to have some fun?" Bert asked, as they journeyedaway from their hotel toward the Martin house.
"You'll see," his father promised. The children tried to guess what itmight be, but they could not be sure of anything.
It did not take Mr. Bobbsey long to get through with his business withMr. Martin and then the father of the twins said to Mrs. Martin:
"Can you let Billy and Nell come with us on a little trip?"
"To be sure. But where are you going?" Mrs. Martin replied.
"I thought we'd take one of the big sight-seeing autos and ride aboutthe city, and perhaps outside a little way," said Mr. Bobbsey. "Nell andBilly can tell us the best way to go."
"Oh, yes! I can do that'" cried Billy. "I often take rides that way withmy uncle when he comes to Washington. Come on, Nell! We'll get ready."
"May we really go?" asked Nell, of her mother.
"Yes, indeed!" was the answer.
So, a little later, the Bobbsey twins, with Billy and Nell and Mr. andMrs. Bobbsey, were on one of the big automobiles. It was not too cold toride outside, as they were all bundled up warm.
Through the different parts of the city the sight-seeing car went, a manon it telling the persons aboard about the different places of interestas they were passed. In a little while the machine rumbled out into thequieter streets, where the houses were rather far apart.
Then the automobile came to a stop, and some one asked:
"What's so wonderful to see here?"
"Nothing," the driver of the car answered. "But I have to get some waterfor the radiator. We won't be here very long. Those who want to, can getout and walk around."
"Yes, I'll be glad to stretch by legs," said one man with a laugh. Hewas sitting next to Mr. and Mrs. Bobbsey, and they began talking to him.Nan and Bert were talking to Billy and Nell, and, for the time being, noone paid much attention to Flossie and Freddie, who were in a rear seat.
Suddenly Flossie called to her little brother;
"Oh, look! There's a cat! It's just like our Snoop!"
Freddie looked to where Flossie pointed with her chubby finger.
"No, that isn't like our Snoop," said the little boy, shaking his head.
"Yes, 'tis too!" declared his sister. "I'm going to get down and look atit. I like a cat, and I didn't see one close by for a long time."
"Neither did I," agreed Freddie. "If that one isn't like our Snoop, it'sa nice cat, anyhow."
The cat, which seemed to be a stray one, was walking toward the car, itstail held high in the air "like a fishing pole."
Flossie and Freddie were in the rear seat, as I have said, and no oneseemed to be paying any attention to them. Their father and mother werebusy talking to the man who had gotten down to "stretch his legs," andNan and Bert, with Billy and Nell, were busy talking.
"Let's get down," proposed Flossie.
"All right," agreed Freddie.
In another moment the two smaller Bobbsey twins had left their seat,climbed down the rear steps of the sight-seeing automobile, and wererunning toward the stray cat, which seemed to wait for them to come andpet it.