The Bobbsey Twins in Washington

by Laura Lee Hope

  CHAPTER XV

  "WHERE ARE THEY?"

  Freddie and Flossie walked slowly up the yard, away from the emptyrabbit house, and stood at the foot of the back steps up which TomWalker had hurried to ask the cook for something to eat for the "straychildren." The little Bobbsey twins had not heard what the cook said toTom after he had asked for something to eat. But the cook repeated herquestion.

  "What do you mean by stray cats and stray children?"

  "There are the stray children out in the yard now," answered Tom. "Theystrayed away from some place, just as that dog I kept for a while oncedid. There was a stray cat, too, but I don't see it now."

  "Stray children, is it?" cried the jolly cook. "Oh, look at the littledarlin's!" she exclaimed, as she saw the small Bobbsey twins standingout in the yard, waiting for Tom to come back. Freddie and Flossiecertainly did look very sweet and pretty with their new winter coats andcaps on, though it was not very cold. It was not as cold in Washingtonas in Lakeport.

  "Do you think he'll bring us anything to eat?" asked Freddie of Flossie,as they stood there waiting.

  "I hope he does," the little girl answered. "I'm hungry."

  "So'm I!" Freddie admitted. "I guess that cat was, too. Where did hego?"

  The cat answered himself, as though he knew he was being talked about.He came out from under the back steps, rubbed up against Flossie's fat,chubby legs with a mew and a purr, and then, seeing a place where thesun shone nice and warm on the steps, the cat curled up there and beganto wash its face, using its paws as all cats do.

  "Please, Sarah, can't I have something to eat for the stray children,and maybe for the cat?" again asked Tom of the cook.

  "Oh, I dunno!" she answered. "Sure an' you're a bother! Your mother'sout and I don't know what to do. These must be lost children, and, mostlikely, their father or mother's lookin' all over for 'em now. But I'dbetter bring 'em in an' keep 'em safe here, rather than let 'em wanderabout the streets. How did they come into our yard, do you think, Tom?"

  "They just walked in, after the stray cat. They were on one of the bigautomobiles, and it stopped, so they got off. I told 'em maybe theirfolks would be looking for them," went on Tom, who was older thanFlossie and Freddie. "But they seem to think it's all right."

  "Well, they're lost, as sure as anything," declared the cook. "But it'sbest to keep 'em here until their folks can come after 'em. I'll giveyou something for them to eat, Tom, and then you must look after 'em, asI'm too busy, getting ready for the party your mother is going to havethis night."

  The kind cook soon got ready a plate of cookies and some glasses of milkfor Flossie and Freddie. And, as Tom began to feel hungry himself whenhe saw something being made ready for his new little friends, a placewas set for him, also, on a side table in the dining room.

  "Call 'em in, now!" said the cook. "Everything is ready. And is the catthere?"

  "Yes," answered Tom, as he looked out and saw the pussy curled up in thesun on the steps. "It's there."

  "Well, I think I'll give it some milk," said the cook.

  So, a little later, Flossie and Freddie, the stray children--for that iswhat they were--sat down to a nice little lunch in a strange, house. TomWalker sat down with them, and the stray cat had a saucer of milk in thekitchen.

  "I looked out in the street," said the cook, as she came back to getFreddie another glass of milk, "but I don't see any automobile there.Did you really ride here in an auto?"

  "Oh, yes," answered Freddie. "And the man on it all the time talkedthrough a red horn, but I didn't know what he said."

  "That was the man speaking through a megaphone so everybody on thesight-seeing auto would know what they were looking at as they rodealong," said Tom. "They often pass through here, though I haven't seenany to-day."

  "But what to do about you children I don't know," said the cook, whenFlossie and Freddie had eaten as much as they wanted. "If you did comehere on an auto it's gone now, and there isn't a sign of it. I think youmust have come two or three streets away from the car before you turnedin here."

  "Oh, no!" exclaimed Freddie. "When we got down off the auto we saw thecat and we came in after it. The auto was right out in front."

  "Well, it isn't there now," said the cook. "I guess it must have goneaway and taken your folks with it. Maybe they're looking for you. But Iguess you'll have to stay here until they come to find you. You're toosmall to be allowed to go about alone."

  "We like it here," said Flossie, settling back comfortably in her chair."We can stay as long as you want us to."

  "And we can stay to supper if you ask us," went on Freddie. "Coursemother wouldn't let us ask for an invitation, but if you WANT to ask usto stay we can't help it."

  "'Specially if you have cake," added Flossie, smoothing out her dress.

  "Yes, 'specially cake!" agreed Freddie.

  "Oh my!" laughed the cook. "Sure an' you're very funny! But I like you.And I only wish I knew where your folks were. But the best I can do isto keep you here until they come. They must know about where they lostyou. Come, Tom, take the stray children out and amuse them. Yourmother'll be home pretty soon."

  If Tom's mother had been at home she would have at once telephoned andtold the police that she had two lost--or stray--children at her house,so that in case Mr. and Mrs. Bobbsey inquired, as they did, they wouldknow that the tots were all right.

  But Mrs. Walker was not at home, and the cook did the best she could.She made sure the children were safe and comfortable while they werewith her.

  And, after they had eaten, Tom got out some of his toys, and he andFlossie and Freddie had a good time playing about the house and in theyard. The stray cat wandered away while Flossie and Freddie were eatingtheir little lunch, and the Bobbsey twins did not see him again.

  Now while Flossie and Freddie were having a pretty good time, eatingcookies and drinking milk, there was much excitement on the bigsight-seeing car where Mr. and Mrs. Bobbsey, Nan, Bert, and the other,still had their seats.

  For some little time after the car had stopped to allow the man to putwater in the radiator, neither Mr. nor Mrs. Bobbsey missed their smallertwins. They were busy talking, and Bert and Nan were looking about andhaving a good time, talking to Billy and Nell Martin.

  At last, however, the auto man called:

  "Everything is all right! Get on board!"

  That meant he was going to start off again, and it was not until thenthat Mrs. Bobbsey thought to look around to see if Flossie and Freddiewere all right. And, of course, she did not see them.

  "Flossie! Freddie! Where are you?" called Mrs. Bobbsey.

  There was no answer, and the seat which the two smaller children hadbeen in on the big bus, was empty.

  "Oh, Daddy!" cried Mrs. Bobbsey, "Flossie and Freddie have gone."

  "Gone? Gone where?" Mr. Bobbsey asked,

  "That's it--I can't say," answered Mrs. Bobbsey. "The last I saw of themwas when the auto stopped."

  "I saw the two little tots climb down off the rear steps of the car,"said the man who had wanted to "stretch his legs." "They seemed to begoing after something," he added.

  "It was a cat," said the woman next to the big man who had last spoken."I saw the children get down and go toward a stray cat and then I got tothinking of something else."

  "Oh, if it was a cat you might know it!" exclaimed Mrs. Bobbsey with alaugh. "I guess they're all right. They can't have gone far. Probablythey are on the other side of the street, looking at some bedraggledkitten." But a look up and down the street did not show Flossie andFreddie. By this time the auto was all ready to start off again.

  "But we can't go without Flossie and Freddie!" cried Nan.

  "I should say not!" exclaimed Mrs. Bobbsey. "Oh, where are they? Wherecan my darlings have gone? What has happened?"